Resident Evil: Tiamat: Origins
by megamanxz
Summary: Part 1 of 6. Witness the beginnings of a new story in the classic Resident Evil series as the trials of one individual will escalate to an incident far into the future. Rated M for language and violence. Note: It's as close to canon as I could make it.
1. Profiles: Know Thy Self

Name:Alex Walker  
Occupation:Survivalist  
Age: 21  
Height:5'11  
Weight:187  
D.O.B.:January 19, 1977  
Blood Type:A-Positive  
Weapon(s):Military Combat Knife  
9mm Beretta M92FS Custom w/ Laser Sight  
Colt Python .357 Magnum Revolver  
M79 40mm Grenade Launcher

Notes  
Alex Walker is a boy with a troubled past. When he was only eight, an Umbrella scientist murdered James and Sylvia Walker, his parents, in order to protect his research. His parents were also scientists. Plus, Alex himself was subject to the scientist's experiments until an unknown person rescued him. Since then, Alex has been an orphan all his life. He learned how to survive in the world at a very young age. He even learned how to use firearms when he was twelve. When he turned seventeen, he left the orphanage he was raised in and became a drifter, learning from whomever he could shack up with. Four years later, he entered Raccoon City on the very day of the outbreak and the memories of the experiments that he endured thirteen years ago had faded as he felt amnesia. Now with help from his new friends, he must escape the nightmare alive and remember the past.

Name:Stephanie Wesker  
Occupation:Student/ Mercenary  
Age: 16  
Height:5'10  
Weight:155  
D.O.B.:August 21, 1982  
Blood Type:AB-Negative  
Weapon(s):Military Combat Knife  
9mm Beretta M9 Military  
M4A1 5.56mm Assault Rifle w/ M-203 Grenade Launcher and Tactical Scope

Notes  
Stephanie Wesker is the only niece of Captain Albert Wesker, who died in the Spencer estate in July 1998. Since then, she moved in with Beau Freeman, a friend of her parents, who died in a car crash when she was two. She was the sole survivor of the accident. She goes to Raccoon High School, where in her sophomore year she has just majored in first-aid care. When she would finish high school, she would go to Arklay University, where the top students of Raccoon would study to become successful in the modern world. When the T-Virus infects the city, she is forced to take action. She barely survives another accident regarding her school bus, and then she meets Jimmy Frost, another survivor. When she gets recruited as a Private by Umbrella's U.B.C.S. team, she must use all her skills to survive.

Name:Miranda Irons  
Occupation:Police Officer  
Age: 21  
Height:5'11  
Weight:179  
D.O.B.:September 15, 1977  
Blood Type:O-Positive  
Weapon(s):9mm Beretta M92FS Custom w/ Laser Sight  
Remington M870 Police Entry Shotgun  
.50AE Desert Eagle Magnum Handgun

Notes  
Miranda Irons was also orphaned as a young girl. She was put into the Raccoon Orphanage when she was eight. Years later, Brian Irons, her uncle, took her in. She became a cadet in the Raccoon Police Department and she is almost finished with her training. Her marksmanship is first-class and she also has a calm demeanor. Even with her inexperience, she is willing to lend a helping hand. She also majored in biochemistry and psychology, which give her a definitive edge over other trainees. However, her police training will be useless against the horror of the viral outbreak as her own partner ends up infected and takes his own life. As the outbreak ensues, and as she learns the truth about Umbrella, Miranda begins to question her obligations and responsibility as an officer. Ultimately, she strips herself of her authority and becomes just another desperate civilian who will do everything she can to escape. For some reason, she has a strange connection with Alex Walker, as if they had met several years before.

Name:Jimmy Frost  
Occupation:Mechanic  
Age: 17  
Height:5'11  
Weight:177  
D.O.B.:April 6, 1981  
Blood Type:AB-Negative  
Weapon(s):9mm Browning HP  
SPAS 12 Combat Shotgun

Notes  
Jimmy Frost is a top-notch mechanic from Los Angeles and younger brother to Joseph Frost, deceased member of the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S. His parents have been divorced for five years and Jimmy has been living with his uncle since. Recently, he heard that his mother was put into intensive care due to an accident. When he arrives at Raccoon, he hears about his brother's death and shortly after, he encounters a girl named Stephanie Wesker, the niece of Captain Albert Wesker, purely by chance. Then, he gets caught up in the outbreak and whether he likes it or not, he is now involved. With Stephanie and the other survivors, Jimmy is ready to get out of the city and expose the truth.

Name:Jacob Williams  
Occupation:Medical Student  
Age: 19  
Height:5'11  
Weight:185  
D.O.B.:June 10, 1979  
Blood Type:A-Negative  
Weapon(s):.38 Colt Detective Special Revolver  
Mossberg 500 Pump-Action Shotgun

Notes  
Jacob Williams is an intern at Raccoon Hospital, but his skills are top of the class. He has been training in the high hopes of becoming one of Raccoon's finest surgeons. He does have a bit of a dark history, due to his juvenile past. When he has younger, he was always accused of crimes he never committed. However, he eventually served his time and has found a new way to live. When the outbreak occurs and as the undead rampage through the city, he uses his medical knowledge to search for a cure to the virus while at the same time protects himself from the horrors that await in the shadows and searches for an escape.

Name:Ronald Hemmings  
Occupation:Bodyguard  
Age: 32  
Height:6'3  
Weight:203  
D.O.B.:February 5, 1966  
Blood Type:B-Positive  
Weapon(s):S&W M629 .44 Magnum Revolver  
9mm H&K VP70

Notes  
Ronald Hemmings is a bodyguard for Michael Warren, mayor of Raccoon City. He has a wife and daughter, and even though his daughter Cheryl goes to school in a different town, he does do his best to keep in contact with his sister, who is taking care of her. Ronald and his wife Mary have been married for ten years, they had no problems with themselves, and they have just found a place in Raccoon City. However, during the outbreak, they are cut off from the outside, and have no idea if their young daughter is still alive. Mary ends up infected and Ronald is forced to shoot her. When he meets up with the other survivors, he hopes that he will make it out alive in order to see his daughter again.

Name:Pavel Hawkins  
Occupation:Soldier  
Age: 25  
Height:5'11  
Weight:192  
D.O.B.:February 3, 1973  
Blood Type:A-Negative  
Weapon(s):9mm H&K MP5A5 Submachine Gun  
Colt .45 ACP Automatic

Notes  
Pavel Hawkins is a member of the U.B.C.S., or Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. He has had four years of combat experience with the U.B.C.S. and has also undergone extensive training with the Marine Corps for three. This Russian's official rank is Major, and is second-in-command in the Recon Squad, a U.B.C.S. team of twelve soldiers, including Stephanie Wesker. Their main objective is to assess the severity of the outbreak. However, the team ends up decimated, and he and Wesker are the only two survivors. When they team up with Alex and the others, Hawkins must do his best to survive if he wants to get out.

Name:Amy Calvin  
Occupation:Student  
Age: 17  
Height:5'9  
Weight:157  
D.O.B.:May 4, 1981  
Blood Type:O-Negative  
Weapon(s):9mm Browning HP

Notes  
Not much is known about Amy Calvin. She claims to be a high school student whose father works in the local science museum. However, as the incident progresses, her real intentions will become clear, and she may not be who she appears to be…


	2. Prologue: Botched Retrieval

The sewers were cold and silent, but deep within its cavernous tunnels, a secret lab was hidden; Umbrella's most sensitive research was being conducted in this lab, run by one of the corporation's greatest minds.  
But Hunk didn't care about intelligence or greatness. All he cared about was his orders.  
He knew exactly what he had to do as he and his three-man team arrived at a sewer gate. They were to infiltrate and obtain a sample of the G-Virus, a new weapon currently in development.  
According to Hunk's information from Christine Henri, head of the French R&D, the company was suffering from the loss of the Arklay facility in July, and they needed something to make up for the billions of dollars worth of equipment lost.  
However, the virus was still incomplete, and despite the dangers of using such an unstable weapon, they needed it, now, even if it meant killing the man who invented it.  
And that was where Hunk and his team came in. Armed with MP5Ks and VP70s, as well as equipment for safely transporting the virus, they were ready for anything.  
The four soldiers stalked the moist tunnels as silently as they were expected to be. Stevens, their point man, waited for them at their first checkpoint. Smith and Young held position while Hunk studied the maps with Stevens.  
"Stevens, you and Young go on ahead. Smith and I will wait here and secure our escape route."  
Stevens nodded, brandishing his MP5K. He and Young continued on while Hunk and Smith both took up defensive positions.  
"Sir, what if something…bad happens?"  
Hunk sighed. Derek Smith was still green, and obviously a little paranoid, but he was also an excellent marksman; Hunk personally requested him for his team to the suits back at HQ. He smiled underneath his mask.  
"Nothing will, Smith. Now assume your post."  
Smith saluted and stood watch. Hunk went to his post, and it was then that he also wondered the same thing.

They noticed the cable car. Young activated it and they rode it to the other side. Once there, they walked through a couple of gray corridors and then into a management office.  
Stevens searched the office and it was clear.  
"Young, start up the lift."  
"Yes, sir," he answered. He turned the control key and the lift outside reached their level.  
They stepped onto the lift and activated the turntable. Slowly, the elevator went down.  
Three minutes later, they reached the lab. They navigated their way through several identical-looking halls and corridors. It was a slow endeavor but then they finally reached their destination.  
"This way," Stevens said. They used a card key and opened the door.  
Inside, they could hear someone talking; it was undoubtedly William Birkin, their target.  
"It's sheer perfection: my precious G-Virus. No one will ever take you away from me."  
It _was_ Birkin. Stevens and Young both ran into the lab, coming face-to-face with Doctor Birkin, clutching both a sample case full of T and G samples, and a 9mm pistol.  
Birkin was smiling, despite the situation. "So you've finally come."  
Stevens jacked a round into his MP5K, speaking gruffly. "Doctor, we're here to collect the G-Virus sample."  
Young was behind him, his weapon also raised. Birkin stepped back, his hand trembling.  
"Sorry, but I won't just…hand over my life's work."  
_Ah, to hell with this…I'd rather just shoot him,_ Stevens thought to himself.  
Birkin was still backing up, trying to find another way out—  
—when a coffee cup fell to the ground. It startled Birkin…but also made him a clear target.  
Young opened fire, 9mm rounds shredding Birkin's right arm and chest.  
Stevens placed his arm over Young's weapon. "Stop! You might hit the samples!"  
Young nodded and they both walked to the sample case, ignoring the shuddering Birkin.  
"That's it, all right," Young said.  
Stevens nodded, taking the case. "Okay, let's move out."  
They both headed out of the lab, not knowing that they passed Birkin's wife, but even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered.  
They found the samples and eliminated Birkin—mission complete.

It had been twenty minutes since Stevens and Young left. Hunk reached for his radio.  
"Alpha team, have you retrieved the sample yet?"  
A pause, and then, _"Affirmative. We'll meet at the rendezvous point in about one minute."  
_Hunk nodded. "Roger."  
Smith also nodded, and Hunk could feel a smile on his face. It was too easy; Birkin obviously never stood a chance.  
_Now to get our pay—  
_"Ggggggrrrrrraaaaaaaahhhhhh!"  
They both jumped, chilled to the bone by the scream.  
"W-What was that!" Smith babbled.  
"Something's wrong. Let's check it out."  
At the same time, Hunk heard gunfire from up ahead, and he shuddered; Stevens and Young were in trouble.  
"Over there!" he shouted, and they ran. Ahead, they heard shouting and more gunfire.  
"_Shit! Eat this, you freak!"  
_"_Come on, stop it!"  
_"_I'm stopping it!"  
_"_What is this thing?"  
_Then they screamed again. The gunfire was silenced.  
Hunk shouted to Smith. "Hurry!"  
The two ran, and within a minute found the source of the screams.  
"What is this thing!" Hunk shouted in surprise.  
The thing was huge, almost like a man, but his right arm was mutated, and with tri-bladed claws. Behind him, they saw Stevens and Young, dead. The sample case beside them was crushed, too. The creature screamed again and advanced toward them.  
"Fire, _fire!_" Hunk yelled, and both men unloaded their MP5Ks. The monster's torso was riddled with bullet wounds, but he continued towards Hunk and Smith. They reloaded and fired again. The thing still kept coming. Almost instantly, Smith's throat was slashed. He screamed as he fell to the ground, dead.  
_Smith!  
_"Son of a—" Hunk blurted. He opened fire again—  
—and his gun clicked empty. Breathing heavily, he saw the thing's shoulder, and a giant eye emerged. He screamed as the monster's arm came down—  
—and the tunnels started flooding with sewer water. Hunk got caught in the current and was being washed away.

When Hunk finally came to, he checked his PDA and noticed that the area was thick with T-Virus activity.  
_The T-Virus…it's loose…  
_He sighed, feeling thankful that he had taken the vaccine before the mission. He then noticed a vial next to him. It was a G-Virus sample, still intact.  
_This is ironic. I find the sample, and my team's dead…  
_He placed it into his pouch and grabbed his radio, signaling for the helicopter.  
"Alpha team here. Mission accomplished."  
"_Roger. We'll rendezvous at the meeting point."  
_The radio went silent, and Hunk climbed the nearby stairs, drawing his pistol. If the sample case was destroyed, then it was definitely possible that the test subjects in the lab got out. He looked at his chronometer and saw that it was the 30th of September, nine days later. He sighed heavily as he braced himself for the terrors ahead.  
A week ago, Raccoon City was still a normal, isolated community. Now, it had certainly become a mass graveyard, and the living were dying by the minute.  
Hunk opened the door and stepped inside. There was no turning back.

He was almost there.  
Hunk barely managed to get to the second floor passageway that led to the roof. Along the way, he had to fight off several human carriers and a fair amount of B.O.W.s. He had a 12-gauge shotgun and a Desert Eagle .50AE Magnum in addition to his 9mm, but he was just about out of ammo. He had only fifteen 9mm bullets, three shotgun shells, and six .50-caliber rounds remaining.  
_Maybe I won't need them…  
_Just as he thought that, it appeared. Hunk thought he had incapacitated it a while ago, but it was back.  
_The seeker…  
_The monster that came toward him—and obviously the G-Virus sample—was a T-103, a new model of Tyrant. Its body was composed of circuitry and synthetic tissue, designed to resist gunfire and injury. In addition, it also had the ability to follow simple orders programmed after activation, and there was only one in this matter: obtain the G-Virus.  
But Hunk also knew the other secret the T-103 had: it's second form. When the limiter inside its coat was completely destroyed, the T-103's true form would emerge. With design specs taken from the previous Tyrant model, T-002, this model was vastly superior in every way.  
Hunk grabbed his shotgun and fired. The buckshot round hit it at point-blank range, and true to its nature, was completely unfazed. The T-103 swung its giant arms towards Hunk, but he managed to dodge them. He then unloaded his two remaining shells and dropped the weapon. Scrambling to the helipad door, he pulled the Desert Eagle and emptied the clip, going for the head.  
The rounds managed to find their mark, but it wasn't enough. The T-103 was built too well. Hunk then pulled the VP70, using up the last of his ammunition to try to incapacitate it again.  
His last six rounds managed to penetrate its ribcage, and the T-103 was definitely starting to shut down again. But Hunk knew it wouldn't last. He opened the door and grabbed a signal flare from his vest.  
After a couple of minutes, the helicopter came and lowered a rope ladder. Frantically, he climbed it and dove into the seat.  
"Get the hell out of here…" Hunk breathed as he removed his mask. The helicopter flew out of Raccoon and into the night.  
"Well done, Mr. Death," a voice spoke from behind him. "I see you're still hard to get rid of."  
Hunk jumped to see Christine Henri sitting casually in the seat behind his.  
"And what do _you_ want?" he demanded.  
Henri smiled. "I just want you to know how happy I am that you managed to survive. You have the sample, correct?"  
He nodded and pulled it out of his pouch carefully.  
"Excellent. Now, Mr. Death, I have a special assignment for you."  
"What?" he muttered.  
"I need you to oversee a delivery of a new Tyrant model to the Rockfort facility."  
"About that…why didn't you tell me they were sending in the seekers?"  
"We assumed you were dead. Besides, you should be lucky that you didn't face Nemesis."  
Hunk shivered. Nemesis was far more advanced than the T-103, and a hell of a lot tougher to kill. Henri was right about him being lucky.  
"Understood," he said softly.  
As the helicopter flew back to HQ, Hunk leaned back into his seat, knowing that the demise of Raccoon City was already underway…and that it was the beginning of the end.


	3. Chapter 1: Prelude to Destruction

RPD cadet Miranda Irons woke up and stretched her arms to another beautiful September sunrise. It was the 25th, and there had been no new incidents since that report about the girl three days ago; she'd figured that it was good news.  
_Of course, there are also those murders from July…  
_She shook her head, obviously wondering why she was thinking about that. It had been two months since then, and there were no new murders since.  
_Now that is good news…  
_As she headed to the shower, she heard a distant police siren.  
_Wonder what that's about…  
_Ten minutes later, she was out of the shower. Her phone rang. She picked it up.  
"Hello?"  
"_Miranda? It's Jerry."  
_Unconsciously, she stood up straight, her left arm still clutching the towel around her body; Jerry Goldsworth was her supervisor.  
"What do you want?"  
"_Chief wants us all at the station ASAP. You're to report in two hours."  
_"Gotcha."  
Jerry hung up. Miranda went to the bedroom to grab her uniform, wondering what exactly Uncle Brian wanted her at the station for.  
_Probably just an update…  
_In fact, there hadn't been a disturbance like the one in the park since the murders. They had stopped when the S.T.A.R.S. returned from their mission.  
_They came back…only to spout some paranoid drivel about conspiracies and monsters and all that. No wonder they got suspended.  
_Worst of all, they had blamed the Umbrella Corporation, the single biggest contributor to Raccoon's growth, for the murders.  
_That's just crazy…  
_For some reason, Miranda was worried. She was worried about today.  
_But what am I supposed to be worried about?  
_She shook her head. She was on the verge of becoming a full-blown officer of the RPD. There was nothing to worry about, nothing at all.  
_Ridiculous.  
_She tucked her ponytail into her patrol hat and stepped outside onto the front lawn, holstering her handgun. She headed to her Impala and got into the driver's seat. As she turned her head to back out of the driveway, she noticed someone walking on the sidewalk. He was drunk, from the way he was staggering.  
_One shot too many…  
_She drove away towards the station, again wondering what Uncle Brian wanted to tell everyone on the force.

Jack Keaton was just waking up from a restless sleep. He was a forty-year-old man who was divorced three years ago. Since then, he lost his job at the business up the street that majors in selling insurance, and he got a job at a liquor store. He never shaved so he always had a five o'clock shadow and his dark black hair was grown out and messy. He stayed in surprisingly good shape for his condition. Whenever he had time, he would've gone for runs or hikes in Arklay Forest…  
_Except now, the murders are still being investigated, and the forest roads are blocked for safety. Maybe it's for the best, I guess.  
_He quickly changed into some clothes before stepping outside into a new day. He curiously stepped out onto his front porch, heard police sirens, and looked at the subdivision. The sirens sounded close. Jack joined some of the other neighbors as they walked closer. A police officer was keeping them at a safe distance.  
"What's going on?" one of the neighbors asked. They watched as a man with grayish skin was wheeled out of a house on a stretcher. His eyes had sunken in and his hair was a complete mess.  
"What happened, officer?" another neighbor asked, but the officer ignored him. Jack was uneased by the whole thing.  
_Something doesn't feel right.  
_He walked back to his house with the newspaper in his hand. A young girl was standing on the porch of the house next to his. She seemed interested in the group across the street. A paramedic ran his hand through his hair; he didn't like what he saw.  
_I'd be uneasy, too…  
_Jack shook his head. He then went inside, closing the door behind him. He locked it with a series of locks, none too hard to open in a hurry. Jack sat the paper on the coffee table while on his way upstairs. He glanced out the window. The young girl was still out on the porch watching closely as the man was placed in the ambulance.  
Her name was Stephanie "Steph" Wesker, a sixteen-year-old sophomore in Raccoon High School. She'd just moved in with Beau Freeman, a friend of her family's. She used to live with her uncle, Albert Wesker, but he died almost two months ago during a mission. Anyone could tell she was a Wesker by just looking at her and talking to her. She had blonde hair and blue eyes like her father (who was a Wesker) and uncle. She was raised to handle weapons and ended up being very skilled at a young age. Plus, she had the Wesker attitude that could one day get her into trouble, as well as the traditional sunglasses. She only wore them to mask her emotions.  
_She's definitely tougher than she looks…  
_He smiled and headed downstairs, looking forward to a good day.

Stephanie Wesker was watching the man get pushed into the ambulance and wondered what was wrong with him. She knew him; he was Matthew Drake, her literature teacher. He was also the nicest teacher she knew in the whole school.  
_He looked really sick…  
_She shook her head. She wasn't a doctor, but she did have first-aid training in her freshman year. She knew enough to know that his skin shouldn't have been in that state of decay. It looked like Mr. Drake was dead for a few days, but she had last seen him yesterday.  
_Okay, so he isn't dead. So, what gives?  
_Beau walked downstairs and yawned, "What's going on outside? I heard sirens."  
Stephanie was really glad that she moved in with him. He was an elderly sixty-five-year-old who had hip problems for the past six years of his life. When he heard about Stephanie coming to live with him, he was happy to have some help. He was bald and had a gray beard. He was overweight and had been for the past six years since his hip problems, but he was also a very nice man.  
"I'm not sure," Stephanie turned to him, her blue eyes showing concern. "Mr. Drake was sent to the hospital."  
"Matt?" he blinked.  
"Yeah. The funny thing is, he looked like he was dead for a few days. Now I know that's impossible."  
Beau walked into the kitchen, obviously confused from what she'd told him, and offered her some breakfast. She took the offer and sat down in the living room. After breakfast, she turned on the television, hoping to watch her favorite cartoon: _The Misadventures of Mr. Raccoon._ But, there was a breaking news update on every channel.  
She changed the channel, but it was the same thing over and over again. Disgusted with the lack of decent shows, and that she would be missing Mr. Raccoon on his newest escapade, she turned the TV off and got ready for school.

Meanwhile, Jack walked down the stairs, and as he walked down he could see through the window into Stephanie's living room and could see a glimpse of "breaking news" just before she turned it off, so Jack turned on his TV.  
"_There is some kind of disease running through this small neighborhood of Urkburrow. Already, ten people claim that they were bitten by rats and became very ill."  
__My God…  
_The news anchor continued, _"The small neighborhood is being quarantined and there are doctors and scientists investigating the area—"  
_Jack turned off the TV. He didn't want to hear anymore of it. He had to get ready for work.

Two paramedics were riding in the back with another paramedic. The first paramedic didn't take his brown eyes off the man.  
Russell Ford (aka Rusty) was a twenty-five-year-old paramedic. Actually, he just became one, so he was trying his best to stay in his position. However, he'd get nervous easily.  
_This is bad, real bad. I have never seen anything like this.  
_His brown hair and long side burns hung over his ears and stuck to his forehead due to sweat that began to gather due to the stuffiness. He had to sit on the floor because he was a little taller than the ambulance itself.  
"The man has no pulse, but he's still breathing," the other paramedic, Theo, said, pointing out what Rusty already knew. He wondered how this could be. It was impossible.  
Theo held onto the bar on the top of the ambulance as it stopped. He grabbed the bed and started to roll the man out.  
The man had awakened and began to moan. He made a sound that sent chills down Rusty's spine. He looked at the body, which was now moving, and then he looked at Theo.  
"What the hell is this?" Theo said.  
"I...I don't know!" Rusty shouted as the man in the bed began to go crazy.  
"Rusty, give me a hand!" Theo yelled.  
Rusty ran up behind him and tried to get a hold of the bed without throwing Theo out of balance and dropping the man. The man reached out and grabbed Theo's hand, pulled it to his mouth, and crunched down.  
"_Theo!" _Rusty shouted.  
Theo looked down and shouted in pain, letting go of the bed, but Rusty managed to catch it before it rolled away.  
"He bit me! The bastard actually _bit_ me!" Theo said as he held his bleeding hand. Fear rushed over Rusty. He had never seen a person act this way in his life!  
He held up Theo's hand, sprayed disinfectant on the wound, and got the man to a group of doctors waiting for him. The man on the bed reached over to grab Rusty's hand, but he let go and backed away as the doctors held the bed. The doctors start to wheel him away, but one of them got bit in the arm, so they tie him down to the bed.  
Rusty looked at the crazy man tied to the bed. He was struggling to get free and had blood around his mouth.  
"What the hell's happening to Raccoon?" he said before he walked inside.

One of the police cars that followed the ambulance had stopped at the precinct. They pulled up into the parking garage. Inside the station there was a young man looking for his brother.  
"His name is Joseph Frost," the boy said. "I just got in town today and I wanted to surprise him," the boy said with a smile on his face.  
His name was Jimmy Frost. He was a seventeen-year-old boy from L.A. who just got his license and wanted to give it a try. So he left his hometown to go visit his older brother living in Raccoon City. He had long brown hair and blue eyes and he wore thick black glasses, but he didn't always have them on.  
The officer behind the desk looked at the boy and then looked around. The officer let out a long, deep sigh.  
"Mr. Frost…" he said sadly. "There's something you should know about your brother."  
His smile faded. "What?"  
"He was...a good man..."  
Jimmy looked around and his eyes began to swell up with tears.  
"Where's my brother?"  
"Please, sit down," the officer said and signaled for another person to come over and keep Jimmy calm.  
"Look..." The officer tried to find the right words to break the news. "Your brother was a fine member of S.T.A.R.S. He died about…two months ago."  
"What?" Jimmy couldn't believe it. He'd moved out of town since his parents' divorce and neither of them had heard about Joseph's death till now, and Jimmy never knew it at all. Apparently, it was still being investigated, due to the confusion of the case.  
"He and the other Alpha members went to search for the Bravo team when their helicopter crashed," the officer told the story. "He was attacked by a group of Dobermans."  
_What? Wild dogs killed him?  
_Jimmy looked around, trying to think about the travesty, but trying to get his mind off the death. He saw a bunch of party cups and a few party hats.  
_What is that for?  
_Jimmy didn't care about the party stuff after a few seconds. All he thought about was Joseph.  
"Is there a place I can stay?"  
The officer sighed. "There's a nice hotel a few blocks east."  
"I don't have enough money for a hotel," Jimmy said and looked around the room again.  
"Hmm…" the officer scratched his head. "You can't stay here."  
"I guess I'll drive around for a cheap place," Jimmy said.  
"Hey," the officer said, "I'm sorry."  
Jimmy didn't say anything. He just walked away and hung his head.

Jerry Goldsworth was pacing around in the detectives' office of the police station, waiting for Miranda to arrive.  
It wasn't like her to show up late, especially since she was always on time during her academy days. Of course, actual patrol was a far cry from firing ranges and practice drills.  
_Come on, Miranda. Don't hold us up here…  
_As if on cue, she was there. She sounded out of breath.  
"Sorry. Traffic jam."  
Jerry grinned. "Next time, use the back roads."  
Miranda chuckled, but when the chief walked in, her smile was gone. Brian Irons was Miranda's uncle, not to mention her future boss, so he was sure that she felt total pressure. There was nothing worse than being employed under a relative.  
"We've got a problem," the chief said. "It seems that the murderers have struck again. And there is some sort of plague spreading through the city. Not only is Raccoon infected, but Urkburrow and several other suburbs are as well."  
_No…  
_Jerry's family lived in Urkburrow, so he was definitely affected by the news.  
"We need to set up blockades around the city. We must also cut off the outside lines; no one in or out of the city. Anyone has a problem with that, use all necessary force."  
_What?  
_He glanced to see Miranda shudder. He felt the same way.  
"Any questions?"  
Miranda looked at Jerry. He shook his head.  
_Don't do it, Miranda!  
_"Chief!" she shouted. "I don't know what's going on with you today, but I'm sure as hell not gonna kill anybody who tries to get out!"  
At that moment, every cop in the room glared at her and fell silent. Even the chief was surprised…but not for long. He stomped towards his niece, anger flooding through him.  
"If you do not shut up, I'll kill you where you stand!"  
The cops were all shocked. The police chief was threatening his only niece!  
_Chief, what the hell are you doing?  
_Miranda, however, kept her cool. "You just try it."  
The chief was just furious. He pulled his sidearm and pointed it at Miranda's head. At the same time, she unholstered her own weapon and aimed it at his head as well, the laser sight hovering over his left eye.  
_Uh-oh…  
_Jerry knew just how much of a good shot Miranda was. He'd seen her at the firing range every day. She would get near-perfect scores every time. She was even better than he was.  
For a moment, no one moved. Then, slowly, both of the Irons holstered their weapons.  
"You're just lucky you've got the entire force watching your back. I'll get you when you're alone," he hissed.  
Miranda just chuckled. "I'll be waiting…Brian."  
He stomped off, out of the office. As soon as he was out of the area, all the cops in the room applauded.  
Jerry touched her shoulder. "Come on. We got a job to do."  
She nodded. Then the cops left the office and headed to the garage, ready to do their duty.

Later that day, after Jack watched Stephanie walk onto her school bus, he closed his blinds, but not before getting another glance at a police car scream by with its sirens wailing.  
He walked to his room and got dressed. He put on a red plaid shirt over his T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He also put on a pair of boots that looked like an aged pair of fisherman's boots.  
He also felt a small piece of paper in his right pocket and pulled it out. It was a reminder:  
"I have to work tomorrow at seven," it said, tomorrow meaning the 26th; he wrote it this morning. Walking downstairs he could hear more sirens.  
_The ambulance must be leaving.  
_He walked into the living room and switched on the television. The news was still on. He kept it running as he walked into the kitchen, just in case the news reporters talked about what was going on down the street.  
_This is completely nuts…  
_He opened a drawer and looked inside to see a huge black rat. He jumped back and the rat climbed out onto the counter. Jack reached over for a frying pan and swung at the rat, smashing it between the metal pan and the tile on the counter. There was blood on the counter and the now dead rat.  
_I've lost my appetite…  
_He walked back into the living room and continued to watch TV, but he slowly fell back to sleep.  
That night, Miranda was sent to Urkburrow with Jerry to blockade the main roads connecting the suburb to Raccoon.  
_What could possibly be so bad that Uncle Brian wants us to keep out?  
_Whatever it was, she didn't like it. During her academy training, she was taught to always keep her senses on high alert, and not to jump to conclusions. But this unknown danger was gnawing at her from the inside out; she couldn't help but be scared.  
_I hate not knowing what I'm up against…  
_As she arrived at her destination, the other cops parked their cars to block the road. Then, they went to their trunks and pulled out handguns and shotguns, fully loaded. Apparently, they were concerned about the killers, since Urkburrow _was_ near the forest.  
"You alright?"  
Miranda jumped and looked at Jerry, his deep blue gaze filled with worry. She nodded shakily, her submachine gun raised.  
"Yeah. I'm good."  
Jerry grinned. "Really? You weren't scared of the chief?"  
Miranda shook off her jitters. "No. It happens all the time—"  
_Beep-beep!  
_Suddenly, the radio beeped. Jerry grabbed the unit and thumbed the transmit button.  
"Goldsworth."  
There was a slight pause, and then…  
"_Help! Someone help us! We're—"  
_The rest was lost in a burst of gunfire, then static. Miranda and Jerry each shared a look of true fear, that same fear multiplied by the static coming from the radio. Something was happening in Raccoon, something bad.  
"Uncle Brian…" Miranda whispered.  
Even from three miles out of the main city, they could hear gunfire.

The next day, more and more calls were made about people being bitten by rats and becoming very sick. One of Raccoon City's best doctors, Stanley Urban, was at home on his day off. He had spent all day watching rented movies in his living room as his wife, Naomi, slept in. Urban wasn't looking forward to the phone call that he was about to receive; he wasn't even expecting it.  
The phone rang and Urban answered it. "Dr. Urban," he said.  
"_Hey, Stanley, this is Paul Green. The police have asked me to get some of my best doctors and send them to help in Urkburrow. I'm sure you've seen the news."  
_"What news?" Urban asked. He hadn't watched television all day. "I haven't heard anything."  
"_Turn on the TV,"_ Paul said and Urban switched off the VCR and went to cable television. There were images of dead people and burning pyres. Urban blinked his eyes and noticed that there were bodies in there.  
"_...Where ten or more people have been bitten by rats, as it seems, and are infected with some kind of virus. Three people have been reported dead by this epidemic and I have been ordered by the RPD police officers to wear this mask for protection..."  
_"How long has this been going on?" Urban asked.  
"_For the past few hours."_ Paul replied. It was now past two in the afternoon.  
"Should I go to your office first or do the police want me first?" Urban asked.  
"_Just get your emergency kit out of your car and bring it with you. Don't bother coming here at all."_ Paul said. He said something to his secretary before continuing.  
"_I have to go. Now it's on Urkburrow Ave., down near the diner."  
_"Alright Paul, I'll see you tomorrow at work," Urban said, but Paul hung up before he finished.  
_So much for my day off…  
_Urban walked into his bedroom and got the emergency kit that Paul was talking about and he tapped Naomi on the leg.  
"Honey," he said and she murmured something under her sleepy voice. "I've got to go to work right now. I was called in. Stay asleep and I'll be home in a few hours."  
Naomi didn't wake up; she didn't even seem to realize that he was talking to her.  
Dr. Urban walked out of the house with his keys in his hands and locked the door behind him. He walked out to his car, got in, swung the emergency kit into the back seat, and drove off to Urkburrow.

Sweat trickled down Stephanie's neck and face while she tried to fan herself. It was some time after 3:30. She had just gotten out of school but wasn't on her way home. Barry Burton had called this morning before she left Beau's house asking her to come over because he had some important information about Uncle Albert's death to tell her. Half of her wanted to know, but the other half desperately wished he never called. It was a hot September afternoon and the air conditioner in the public bus blew a week ago  
_Damn, it's like a desert!  
_The bus came to a screeching halt. Stephanie stood up. She made her way to the front of the bus and got off. The bus pulled away, leaving Stephanie in the old neighborhood she grew up in. She spent fourteen out of sixteen years here. She moved in with her uncle when she was two. She glanced up at the sky to see some dark black clouds rolling in from the west. A soft, faint sound of thunder filled the air.  
Stephanie was five blocks away from the Burton residence. She could easily walk there in no time but she'd have to pass the Wesker house.  
_Home…  
_She didn't want to go past it. She knew that if she did, the memories would come back and she'd be haunted with the terrible events from the past two months. It was either head past home or end up wasting five to six minutes to get to Barry's. If a storm was moving in, she didn't want to be caught out in it.  
She quickly started down the street, trying hard not to look at the house but she couldn't help it. She had to glance at it. She turned her head and stared. The paint on the house was beginning to chip away. The name Wesker on the mailbox was fading away but her memories weren't.  
Her eyes began to burn at the thought of the horrible night she discovered that Uncle Albert had died. A flashback came to her…

_She had been standing at the large front window waiting for him to come home. A car had pulled into the driveway but it wasn't Uncle Albert's car. She looked out into the dark to see a woman get out from behind the driver's seat. She opened the door, allowing light from the living room to fill the front yard. The woman approached the house.  
_"_Miss Stephanie Wesker?" The woman asked.  
_"_Yes…" she stepped outside.  
_"_Hello, I'm Mrs. Taylor from the Raccoon Orphanage. I'm afraid you'll need to come with me."  
_"_Why? My uncle will be home shortly."  
_"_I'm terribly sorry, Stephanie…but Albert Wesker is dead…"  
_Stephanie came back to reality with tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her sleeve. The sky was growing thick with clouds and thunder was filling the air. A strong breeze had begun to blow. She turned away from the house, trying desperately to forget everything.

After Theo got bit, Rusty took him into the waiting room and bandaged his arm, then they walked out to their ambulance, only to find that it wasn't there anymore.  
Rusty ran back in and found the dispatcher.  
"Hey," he said as he walked up, "Where's our ambulance?"  
"Harold took it with a couple other paramedics," the woman said and continued typing on the computer. Harold was Theo and Rusty's driver.  
_There must've been an important call if Harold just ran off without telling us…  
_"How's your hand?" Rusty asked.  
"It's better," Theo said, "but it still hurts a lot."  
Rusty shook his head and looked around the waiting room. It was almost full. There were dozens of people in here waiting for doctors to be finished with other patients.  
"We should go and see if any of the doctors need help," Rusty said to Theo.  
"I can't help anyone with this hand. Why don't you meet me back here later tonight?" "Alright, but if you want just go ahead and go home," Rusty replied, "but call me first." Theo nodded his head and leaned down on the chair he was sitting in, closing his eyes.  
_Man, he's been through a lot…  
_Rusty walked down the hallway and stopped at the double doors. He rang the buzzer and looked at the woman behind the glass.  
"Emma," he asked, "can I go in and see what I can do to help?" Emma nodded her head and buzzed him in. Rusty walked in, looking down some of the rooms as he did. All of the rooms were filled with patients. He spotted the last patient that he brought in, the one that bit Theo. Rusty stopped at the room and walked in; he wanted to make sure that this guy wasn't going to spread anything to Theo.  
_He'd better not have. If he did, I'll kick the crap out of him!  
_When Rusty walked in he realized that the man was tied down to the table and the doctors were sitting off to the side.  
"What's going on? There are other patients out there that need your help," Rusty said.  
"This man is dead," the lead doctor said. "He has no pulse, no blood temp, and his heart is beating too slow to pump enough blood through the entire body. This man shouldn't be moving." The patient was trying as hard as he could to get out of the straps.  
"He bit my friend in the waiting room, another paramedic. Is he gonna be alright?" Rusty asked.  
"He bit Dr. Gale and Dr. Winters, too," the doctor replied. "They went to get the bites bandaged."  
"What do you think is going to happen to them?" Rusty asked.  
"I don't know," the doctor replied. "There are dozens of other patients on this floor alone tonight."  
He shook his head as he thought hard at what he was about to say, "I think they are all…"  
He shook his head again, and smiled, "Zombies." He looked up at Rusty, still smiling.  
"What's so funny?" Rusty asked. "That's impossible."  
"I never thought I'd see the day, but obviously I was wrong. This man is dead, but look at him!" He pointed at the patient. "The only thing he'll do is bite anyone that comes close to him."  
Rusty looked around the room as his head tried to capture what was going on. Then, the man pulled out a 9mm and shot the patient.  
"What the hell—" Rusty exclaimed.  
"It was too late for him."  
"Well…what about the rest of the town?" Rusty asked.  
"They're all probably already infected," he said. "It's no use trying to help anyone."


	4. Chapter 2: The Outbreak Escalates

"That will be $3.50," the hot dog vendor said. Jimmy gave the man three $1 bills and some change before taking his large Coke and hot dog. It had been a long day. He had been driving around trying to find a cheap hotel but just about every road he turned down was blocked. He still felt depressed from the loss of Joseph but now he was hungry.  
He sat on a park bench and began to eat.  
_Yuck… _The bun was a little stale, making the meal taste bad. He took a drink before biting into it again. Some storm clouds were moving in. Jimmy looked up at them. They were moving at a nice speed. He estimated that within the next four to five hours it would be raining heavily. He didn't want to be caught out in it. He had only been to Raccoon City one other time in his life but that was years ago.  
He didn't know where anything was and driving at night during a heavy rainstorm was something he didn't want to do.  
_It's not that I don't like the rain. I just can't grow out of my fear of the dark…  
_He finished his hot dog and got up. He tossed the wrapper into the trash bin next to the bench. He started to stroll around the park for a bit when he heard someone scream. He quickly turned his head to a man biting another man's neck.  
_Oh, my God…  
_Blood dripped down the neck of the victim as the crazed killer began to feast on the still-living body. Jimmy was disgusted. He huddled over and threw up his late lunch. A cop was running over to the feasting man when Jimmy looked up. The man stood up, his face covered in blood. The man stretched his arms out and began to go after the officer.  
"Officer—," Jimmy began, but the cop cut him off.  
"Get back!" she said, but to either the man or himself, he didn't know.  
The officer braced herself and began to shoot the man with a 9mm handgun.  
One, two shots into the chest and they did nothing. The man didn't even wince as the bullets pierced him.  
_Is he on something? He should be dead!  
_Jimmy stood there and watched in horror as the man grabbed the officer and bit on her neck. The officer dropped her weapon. Jimmy grabbed the fallen gun and her ammo pack. He immediately opened fire.  
He targeted the attacker and shot him seven times. The bullets slapped into his ribcage, pushing him back, and he still kept coming.  
Freaked, he emptied the clip at the man's face. He went down, but Jimmy wasn't about to stay to find out. He was about to help the officer when a woman stumbled out of the bushes.  
Her hair was a mess. Blood covered her whole right side. Her dark, cold eyes were set on Jimmy. She stretched her arms out while she came closer. She cried out a call of hunger.  
_Oh, shit—  
_Jimmy stepped back. "Get the hell away from me!"  
He yelled again but the lady refused to yield. He turned and ran before the lady could grab him. He ran to his car where he quickly jumped behind the wheel. He looked to his right to see the woman shuffling towards the car, along with the officer who was just killed. Jimmy turned the key. The engine started up. He stomped on the gas paddle and drove off. As he drove, he noticed that there were more of them along the sidewalks, chewing on civilians. Jimmy looked away from the gruesome scenes, his mind trying to stay somewhere resembling sane.  
It was becoming like a bad horror movie, complete with real _zombies,_ and Jimmy Frost had just become the main protagonist.  
_What the hell is going on?  
_He pushed the accelerator further, focusing only on the road…and anything on it.

Driving down the street, Urban could hear sirens. He pulled over to the side of the road and looked around to see the ambulance coming up behind him. It sped by and turned at the next street down the way. They weren't going to Urkburrow.  
_Where are they going?  
_Urban continued driving and got to Urkburrow after about a half-hour of driving through neighborhoods. Once he got there, he could see yellow tape around a few of the houses and police officers standing around, making sure that no one passed the tape. Urban pulled up to one of the officers and got his wallet ready.  
"You can't come over here," the officer said. He put out his hand to stop him.  
"Um," Urban started and fumbled with his wallet, "I was called here by you guys. I'm Dr. Urban."  
"Alright, Dr. Urban, park over there."  
The officer pointed to the curb behind a police car. Urban nodded his head and continued ahead, putting his wallet in his pocket. He parked the car and grabbed his emergency kit from the back seat. He took a deep breath and prepared for whatever he was going to see because, even though he had seen a lot, he hadn't seen it all.  
"Dr. Urban!"  
A police officer inside the house knocked on the window and shocked Urban.  
"Wear this." The officer handed Urban a facemask. The mask looked like one that you would wear into a cloud of tear gas, but Urban didn't complain. He opened his door, got out, and put it on.  
"I hope you can help us out," the officer said. "There are five other doctors in there right now and about three officers patrolling inside to make sure no one else gets in."  
"I'll try my best, officer," Urban said, nodding his head and walked to the first house. When he got inside the house, the air quickly got thick and hot.  
_Whoa! It's like a damn sauna in here…  
_Urban looked up and down the walls. Everything looked normal. He walked down a short hall into the living room and saw a dead body under a tarp on the floor. Urban approached the body, removed the tarp, and looked away as soon as he did.  
The dead person was a man, about late thirties or early forties. The man's face had grown pale and already smelled like he was rotting, as if he'd been there for days.  
"Doctor," someone said from behind Urban.  
"Yes?" Urban replied, but he didn't turn around.  
"That patient is dead and has been like that for the past half-hour."  
"Just thirty minutes?" Urban asked. "He looks and smells as if he's been dead for days." "Apparently, by the looks of all of them, they were bit early today and they started to rot as the day passed by. Whatever infected them killed them fast, so if you see any rats don't hesitate stomping on them."  
Urban pulled the tarp back over the dead man and followed the doctor down the next hall to another room. As he walked down the hall he could see dead bodies in other rooms, but under one of the bags one of the bodies was moving.  
"Hey!" Urban called out to the other doctor. "This one's alive!"  
The other doctor ran to him. "What the hell? He just died about forty-five minutes ago!"  
The other doctor approached the moving body cautiously and leaned down and pulled the tarp off. Urban stared uneasily and looked around.  
_Shit. I forgot my medical kit in the last room…  
_The man under the tarp shook violently and his eyes opened. They were white and pale.  
"Mr. Hill," the doctor asked. The man stopped shaking. The doctor looked back at Urban and shrugged his shoulders, but then Mr. Hill leaned into a sitting position. Urban backed away and looked at Mr. Hill with fear in his eyes. The other doctor looked back and froze, then Mr. Hill turned his head, grabbed the doctor, and bit into his neck.  
"Officers!" Urban shouted. "Get in here!"  
But there was no answer. Urban ran back into the room and looked for something to hit Mr. Hill with. He frantically looked around to finally see a bat, hidden under the bed just by a few inches. He grabbed the bat and ran back to Mr. Hill, who was feasting on the other doctor's neck still.  
"Mr. Hill!" Urban shouted and swung the bat at Hill's face, knocking him down into his old lying down position.  
"Are you alright?" Urban said to the doctor and ran to his aid. He looked at the hole in the man's neck then he checked his pulse; he was already dead. Urban got up and slowly set the doctor's body down, then he walked back toward the hall.  
"Officer!" he started shouting, but one of the officers walked into the doorway, his eyes stained pale.  
"Officer?" Urban yelled, but the officer just approached him slowly and put his arms out, then Mr. Hill behind him reached out for Urban's leg, but he looked back and swung his bat again, hitting Hill's arm.  
Then he brought the bat back up and nailed the officer in the chin. Urban looked down at the doctor, who was starting to move, then the doctor's arms moved and started to push himself up. Urban didn't hesitate. He slammed the doctor in the back with the bat and made another run for the door, but another person walked in. It was the man who was in the living room.  
_Shit!  
_Urban backed up and looked around. The police officer was crawling after him, Mr. Hill was crawling after him, and the doctor was trying to get up again. Urban turned around and smashed the window with the bat, shattering the glass, and he jumped out.

The wind had picked up when Stephanie reached Barry's quiet house.  
His wife and two daughters had left a week ago to go visit a relative. The house looked a lot like the one she and Uncle Albert lived in but the Burton house was much more clean and alive. Stephanie took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She had grabbed an antique Single Action Army revolver that she took from the house without Beau looking. She definitely knew how to use it.  
It was Barry Burton who taught her about gun handling. He even took her to shooting ranges on his days off. Stephanie considered both her and Barry as equals in terms of marksmanship.  
_It's obvious that he's a little jealous of my skills, but I know he's hiding it. Still, it should be an honor for him to have someone like me to compete with…  
_Stephanie saw him get up from the couch and open the door, but he had his revolver unholstered; apparently, he wanted to be prepared.  
"Ah, Steph…" He sighed, but she couldn't tell if he was relieved. They both lowered their weapons.  
It was weird seeing the tall man in blue jeans and a T-shirt. Stephanie was used to seeing Barry in his S.T.A.R.S. uniform. His red hair was still in its usual style and he still had stubble on his chin.  
"Do come in." His voice seemed uneased.  
"Thanks…"  
Stephanie entered the air-conditioned house and hung her jacket and backpack next to the door. The cool air felt good on her warm body. Barry asked her into the kitchen where he had papers spread out all over the table. Stephanie took a seat while Barry got her some water. She gazed over the papers. Some were from S.T.A.R.S. and others from the RPD and Raccoon Orphanage. Then there were a few from…  
"Umbrella?" Stephanie looked up at Barry. He was holding the glass of water when their eyes met. He looked around quickly before holstering his Colt Python.  
He gave her the glass before sitting down. He shuffled some papers then spoke, "First, I'd like to let you know that Albert loved you. He was very happy to have you as a niece and was extremely proud of how well you seemed to follow in his footsteps when it came to skills and gun handling, even though it wasn't like him to come right out and say it."  
Stephanie nodded. "I know." She was silent for a moment. "I know he did."  
"Well…" Barry gulped. "I want you to know the truth."  
"The truth?"  
"Behind his death…you were told that he died in action while on a mission. Correct?"  
"Yeah. Some explosion?"  
Barry gave a short chuckle. "Just like a Wesker…to go out with a bang. Anyway…that is true, but…he caused it."  
Stephanie stared at Barry. "What the hell are you talking about? What happened that night?"  
"He…he betrayed the team…" he said bitterly. "He threatened my family and forced me to help betray them. All of them…he was working for Umbrella as a scientist. He was asked by Ozwell Spencer to bring S.T.A.R.S into the mansion."  
Barry turned away. "He was really killed by a creature that he helped create…while working for Umbrella."  
_No! It can't be!  
_"Shut up!"  
Stephanie couldn't take it anymore. She got up and grabbed her jacket and backpack off the hook. She bolted out the door yelling, "It's a lie! A horrible lie!"  
"Steph!" Barry yelled, but she ignored him.  
She ran off the front steps and down the street. Tears rolled down her cheeks.  
_It must be a lie. It must be!  
_The sky was completely covered by dark clouds. Tiny rain droplets began to fall. She ran hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She ran back to the house she grew up in. She still had the key and unlocked the front door. She then fell to her knees and cried in the empty living room.

Jack jumped awake, feeling as if he was about to fall. He looked around the room and realized that it was dark outside. He pulled up his hand and looked at his watch. It was half past six. He wasn't late for work yet. Jack relaxed again, but before he could fall asleep again, he pulled out his wallet and opened it, looking at an old picture of him and his wife, Denise.  
_Why do I still have this?  
_They divorced three years ago. Denise left one day and sent Jack divorce papers. Jack never found out why, but he signed them and sent her a letter, hoping that she lived a wonderful life without him. After looking at the picture he got depressed, but he got angry, too: the perfect combination to get him up and to work, but not the perfect attitude to go to work with.  
He didn't bother dressing up in his blue uniform. He just got his nametag and walked out the door. He walked down the street, not needing to drive, and he got to the liquor store within a few minutes. It was only about three blocks away. He walked inside the store and a young man was working there, someone that Jack really hated: Terry Rune, a seventeen-year-old kid who thought he knew everything.  
_What a punk…  
_"It's about time, Mr. Keaton," Terry said and smiled.  
"I'm not late," Jack snapped. He walked behind the counter next to Terry.  
"I know, but you're not much early either," Terry replied with a big smile.  
"Listen, Terry," Jack growled, "I have a headache today and I'm not in the mood for your crap, all right!"  
Terry's smile faded and he walked to the back room. Jack reached under the counter and found the remote for the security cam and switched the security footage to normal television. It was still the news.  
"_Experts say that they are infected with a new gene that replaces others. It may also be a new brainwave, but some of the people that were bitten are still alive in some way, but they're not moving or breathing—"  
_Jack turned it to the security cam when three teenagers walked in.  
"You're still being recorded," Jack said.  
He knew that one of the kids stole things all of the time, but he never caught him because he never had the proof to stop him at the door.  
He switched the television back on and leaned against the counter. Then the three teenagers walked up to the register with three sodas.  
"That'll be $4.36," Jack said after ringing them up. One of them handed him a five and walked out without his change, but Jack spotted something sticking out of his pocket.  
"Hey, get back here," Jack said.  
"What?" The older teen replied as he walked back in.  
"What's that in your pocket?" Jack said.  
"Come over here and search me," the teen said. He spread his arms out.  
"Get the hell outta here!" Jack yelled, leaning back against the counter and continuing to watch the television, but he changed it to an actual television station. A couple of hours passed by with little to no customers. He was getting bored. So he switched the news back on to see what was new.  
As soon as he went to the news it was the same reporter, a woman wearing a purple suit, but now there was blood on her suit, and she was out of breath.  
"_I can't believe what just happened. Are you all right, officer?"_ she was saying to an officer with a gun out. The officer put up his hand and coughed.  
"_If you are just tuning in,"_ a voice said, dubbed over everything else, _"Vanessa was just attacked by one of the bodies that was bitten. The man was supposedly dead, but he got up and tried to bite her, but the police officer you can see to your left helped her by hitting it with his club, but the man took a bite of his arm, which is why he is bleeding."_ The voice was that of a man's, a deep voice with no feeling to the situation.  
"What is this?" Jack said as the cameraman looked down at the body of the man who bit the officer. His head was bashed in and there was blood all over the ground. Vanessa shouted to the cameraman to stop looking at the body because it was too gross for most audiences. Jack squinted his eyes to check himself to make sure he just saw what he did.  
_They can show that on TV?  
_Terry walked back in after spending most of the time in the back room.  
"There is someone pounding on the back door," Terry said, looking over his shoulder.  
"Who is it?" Jack asked.  
"I don't know, but they've been hitting the door for five minutes now and they won't go away when I tell them to," Terry replied. "I think it's one of those crazy people."  
That cinched it for him. Jack grabbed a double-barrel shotgun from underneath the counter and walked to the back room. He got close to the door, but there was no one pounding on it.  
"Who—" Jack asked, but just then the banging continued.  
"Go away!" Terry shouted.  
There was a peek hole on the door.  
"Have you looked to see who it is yet?" Jack asked, but Terry didn't answer. Jack looked out to see that the man was bleeding down his shirt and had pale white eyes.  
"What the hell?" Jack said. He opened the door, wanting to help the man, but as soon as he did, the man fell in and grabbed Jack, knocking the shotgun out of his hand, with its mouth wide open and trying to bite him.

"How could this happen?" Rusty said. "This is impossible!"  
"I don't know, but we've got to get out of here," the doctor replied.  
"And go where?"  
"I don't know, somewhere where they have guns. Someplace like the RPD building. That's the only place I can think of."  
"Why? They won't believe us," Rusty said. He looked at the patient again.  
"It doesn't matter. They have guns and that's what we'll need later," he replied.  
"Alright, let's get out of here," Rusty said. He started sprinting through the door, but the middle-aged doctor was trailing behind, so he slowed down. They reached the waiting room and Rusty ran to Theo.  
"Come on, Theo, we're getting out of here," he said, grabbing Theo's uninjured hand.  
"What are you doing?" the doctor asked, but Rusty ignored him.  
"What's going on?" Theo asked.  
"No time to explain now, but you'll find out," Rusty said. They ran and got into an ambulance. The driver was out of the ambulance, smoking a Marlboro.  
"Hey!" the driver shouted as the doctor slammed on the pedal and peeled out of the hospital parking lot.  
Theo started coughing and wheezing as they continued to drive.  
"Where are we going?" Theo asked.  
"To the police station," the doctor replied. "We're going to need help."  
Rusty looked out the passenger window and up at the darkening sky. It was about ten after seven and the sun was going down. He never rode up front.  
"Rusty, what's going on?" Theo asked, then Rusty looked at him and started to talk, but he spotted something moving in the back of the ambulance.  
"In the back!" Rusty shouted.  
A woman leaned out from the back and bit Theo in the neck. All three of them screamed and tried to push the zombie back into the back of the ambulance, but it wouldn't stop chewing. The doctor fumbled in his white overcoat and pulled out a pistol. He aimed it at the woman and shot her in the head. She stopped moving. Rusty looked at Theo's motionless body as it sat slumped on the seat.  
"Toss him in the back," the doctor said. Rusty grabbed Theo's legs and back and flipped him over the seat. Then he closed the metal hatch, separating the back cab and the front. Rusty sat and shook from what he just saw. Theo was one of his best friends.  
"What's your name?" the doctor asked.  
"Russell Ford," Rusty replied.  
"I'm—"  
"I saw your name tag. You're Richard Polar."  
Richard drove down the streets still and he glanced at Rusty.  
"Look," Richard said, "I'm sorry about your friend…"  
He looked at Rusty again, but he stopped talking and continued driving. They came to their first red light and Richard stopped and looked around. There were no other cars on the streets. Richard pulled out a little bit and looked out into the other streets. There was nothing to the left, just an empty street, but to the right there was something moving.  
_Huh?  
_"What is that?" Rusty asked.  
It was a group of people walking slowly towards the intersection.  
_Shit!  
_"It's them!" Richard said and slammed on the gas, running the red light and continuing to run them until he got to where there was another group of people walking down the street. They were all facing the ambulance.  
"Hang on!" Richard shouted and stepped on the gas again and went full speed into the hoard of zombies. Rusty held on to the seat as the ambulance bounced over the bodies as if they were driving over hundreds of speed bumps.  
_There must've been at least fifty people in that crowd!  
_Rusty closed his eyes when Theo started hitting the metal hatch behind him. Rusty's eyes opened and he looked out his window to see a zombie's arm stuck onto the mirror, so he grabbed Richard's gun and fired at the zombie. Then Rusty fired out the window at random zombies.  
"Hey!" Richard shouted to him. "Save some ammo. We'll need it."  
They were already at the other side of the crowd, but something was wrong with the front left tire. It was either really flat or falling off, but Richard lost control and the ambulance turned and rolled.

Sometime after seven, Stephanie left her old house. She spent some time just walking around, remembering her not so long ago past. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she had moist trails from tears on her cheeks. She tried to pull herself together while walking back to the bus stop. The whole time her head was full of thoughts.  
_Was Uncle Albert really a part of Umbrella? What is Beau gonna think when I get home? He has no idea where I am. He's probably gonna kill me…  
_Beau was never strict, but he wouldn't let her off the hook without some kind of punishment. She stood under the street light by the bus stop. There was a bench. She went to sit down but when she did, she realized it was wet. She got up quickly, realizing that the storm ended ten minutes ago.  
_Shit…  
_The air was hot and muggy. Sweat began to develop on her face. She ran her hand over the top of her forehead and stood there, waiting impatiently. While standing there, a smell blew over her nose. It smelled of rotten meat. She winced at the strong odor.  
She looked over to see a dog standing there, growling. It wasn't unusual to see stray animals in Raccoon. People sadly often dropped unwanted pets off near the woods or a dog would run away from a farmhouse not far from the other side of the mountains.  
She stared back it at. Its red eyes glared at her. The dog made her uncomfortable. It looked dead… as if it was hit by a car and got up. Blood covered the dark fur, which made it look sticky. The dog took a step forward but turned and ran off into the bushes when the bus pulled up. Stephanie got on, quickly tucking the revolver in her jacket pocket. While doing so, she heard an eerie howl.  
Stephanie and five other people were the only ones on the bus. She sat by the window, looking outside. She was too busy thinking of what would happen when she got home.  
_Beau is gonna kill me after he gives a _long_ speech.  
_The bus driver announced that there would be a detour due to roadblocks. She slid down in her seat and groaned. Yet another reason why she'd get home late. She tilted her head to the aisle to look out the windshield to see what road they were turning on. When she did, she saw a big group of people standing out in the middle of the street. The bus driver began to honk the horn wildly and tried to use the brakes. The group refused to move.  
Stephanie quickly grabbed the handle bar above the aisle. She knew what was coming and didn't like it. They were going to crash.  
Frightened, she looked out the window to get a look at Raccoon City in case it would be the last time that she'd ever see it. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was the face of terror on a young man who was watching.

Jimmy knew what was going to happen as soon as he saw the bus begin to tip.  
He was just about to pull out onto Hill Road when he saw the large group of killers standing in the street to his right and the bus to his left. He sat there in horror as he watched the bus fall to its side and scooted forward a bit. Sparks flew up from the street as the metal scratched the pavement.  
The bus came to a screeching stop, two zombies already moving toward the wreckage. A small fire had begun in the rear. Jimmy quickly got out of the car. He debated rather or not to go and try to help or if he should just leave.  
_It's probably too late already—  
__No, _he corrected himself. _I gotta check it out. There might be survivors…  
_He waited for a second before he began to dash towards the bus. He checked the gun that he took from the dead cop: it was a Browning HP, 9mm semiautomatic, and he also had two full clips. He reloaded the 9mm and jacked a round into the chamber; he wanted to be ready for anything. He approached the two creatures.  
_Shoot 'em in the head. It's the only way to kill a zombie…  
_He hurriedly shot them in the head, feeling relieved when they went down and didn't get up, and climbed up the side of the bus and looked inside. The driver had gone through the windshield, his body a mangled mess on the road. Two people sitting in the back were engulfed in flames. Three more were dead or dying. There was also a girl who was lying on her side, probably dead as well. Jimmy was just about to leave—  
—when he heard faint breathing. It came from the girl, who was barely alive.  
_She doesn't look good…  
_Her leather jacket was torn and covered with dirt and blood, and her pants had sharp rips along her ankles. She had a deep cut above her left eye and a large bruise on her exposed right shoulder. Jimmy could easily reach for her, so he was going to try to save her.  
"Hey, you!" he yelled. "Wake up!"  
The girl rolled her head. "Huh?"  
Jimmy jumped through the broken window. He knelt down by her, tucking the handgun into his belt. Her blonde hair had turned dark from smoke. Blood trickled down her face from the cut above her eye.  
"Come on! We have to get out of here before this bus blows!"  
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. He then helped support her. She winced when he touched her left side.  
"Ow! Be careful!"  
He helped her out of the bus. They then staggered to his car, four zombies already cutting him off. Jimmy had her sit in the passenger's seat while he took out the creatures blocking his path and got back in behind the wheel. He drove away.  
"Thanks…for saving my life."  
He saw her grab a first-aid kit from the glove box and he saw her stitching herself. Apparently, she knew how to treat her own injuries.  
"No problem." Jimmy glanced at her. "It runs in my family."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, my brother was with S.T.A.R.S. The name's Jimmy Frost."  
"Frost…As in Joseph Frost?"  
"Yeah…he died back in July."  
"So did my uncle. He was captain of the Alpha Team."  
Jimmy blinked. "You're a Wesker?"  
The girl nodded as she cleaned her hair and face with a bottle of water.  
"Yeah. I'm Stephanie. Hey, we need to go back to Urkburrow!"  
"Why! I just came from there, and it's crawling with those things!"  
"Because I have to find Beau."  
"Who's Beau?"  
"He's a friend of the family's. He had custody of me since my uncle died."  
"What about your parents?"  
"They died when I was two. Can we please go back? Beau's the only person I have left!"  
Jimmy nodded his head. He turned around.


	5. Chapter 3: Taking Action

"_Police are continuing to investigate these mass murders that have suddenly appeared in Raccoon City…"  
_The reporter was acting cool as if it was an everyday problem.  
"_The RPD is asking citizens to remain indoors and to keep calm."  
_"Keep calm? How can I calm down when Steph's out there in this!" Beau stood up, hitting his hip on the kitchen table. He winced in pain. He rubbed his hip while he walked to the living room. He looked out the window.  
_Hurry home, Steph…  
_Beau stumbled over to the armchair and flopped down. He rubbed the cold sweat off his forehead and started to shake. He was growing terribly worried for Stephanie's safety. He hoped she was safe at Barry's. He picked up the phone and dialed the first three numbers of Barry's phone number when he heard the back door open. He hung up and got up.  
"Oh, Steph, I'm so glad you're home."  
He walked into the kitchen and turned on the kitchen light. He saw a sick looking woman who was older than Stephanie standing at the back door.  
"Who are you?" he asked bitterly.  
The woman didn't answer. She slowly approached Beau. She held out her arms and cried out a sound of hunger. Beau stepped back. He wanted to dash for the front door but his injured hip wouldn't allow him. So he stumbled his way to the door only to discover that a man who looked as sick as the woman was banging on it. He turned around to see that the woman had entered the living room.  
His whole side hurt from hitting his hip but he tried hard to jog up the steps. He entered his bedroom and closed the door, locking it behind him.  
"Steph…where are you?"  
He made his way to the window. He looked out to see many other people looking and acting the same way as those who had entered the house. "Please be okay…"

Urban landed on the ground and pulled his head up. He looked back at the window to see the four men looking down at him. One of them flipped over the windowsill and fell next to him. Urban got up and started running. He ran out to the side gate and to the front yard.  
_The whole city could be overrun by now. I've gotta get back!  
_He ran to his car and got inside. Only one of the officers could be seen, but he just disappeared into the house where he just came from. He started his car and backed out, but then a large S.W.A.T.-like truck pulled up behind the taped area and eight armed men jumped out of the back. The side of the truck read "UMBRELLA."  
_It's their band of mercenaries…  
_Urban quickly turned off his car and ducked down as the mercenaries ran past the car and the police car, not noticing that it was on over the truck's loud engine. Urban glanced up to see all of them disappear into the house where he came from, then gunfire.  
_Machine guns…  
_They were killing everyone and everything inside. Urban turned on the car and backed up. The driver of the truck spotted him and started shooting at him with an automatic rifle, but he missed as Urban sped off from the way he came. As Urban drove down the street he was sweating profusely. He went to rub the sweat off his forehead, but that was when he realized that he was still wearing the gas mask. So he took it off at the next stoplight. He took a few deep breaths and called Paul.  
The phone rang. He looked at the clock on his car radio; it was almost 7:30. He'd been gone for a long time already.  
There was no answer on the phone. He hung up and headed home to get Naomi. At that moment, Urban thought that something really bad was happening.

Rusty was wearing his seatbelt so he just got knocked around, but Richard Polar wasn't wearing his seatbelt, so he was tossed around. The ambulance landed on its side and Richard was lying on top of Rusty.  
"Hey! Richard?"  
Rusty turned Richard over to see that his neck was twisted. He was dead. He also saw Theo's motionless corpse, his neck snapped as well.  
_Sorry, guys…  
_Rusty could hear the sound of moaning zombies getting closer to the ambulance, so he took off his seatbelt and grabbed the handgun off the door (which was now the floor) and he stood up. But, he checked the gun, and there was no clip.  
_It must have ejected out of the gun after the crash.  
_His head hit the steering wheel when he stood up, but he shook his head, reached up, and pushed the door open. Then he pulled himself out. He looked around to see that the zombies were only about twenty feet away, so he got up and jumped off the side of the ambulance.  
He twisted his ankle when he landed, fell to the ground, and hit his face against the pavement. He got back up and limped away as fast as he could. Rusty turned at the next street and spotted a young girl and boy running out of their house.  
"Help us, Mr. Keaton! Help us, Jack!"  
They could be heard shouting. Rusty ran as fast as he could to them.  
"Help us, Jack!" Rusty shouted with the kids.  
Suddenly, the zombies caught up with them. Rusty stumbled away, but the kids weren't so fortunate. He was paralyzed with fear as he saw the kids getting eaten.  
Then the front door of the house opened, and a man with a hunting rifle appeared.  
"Get in!"  
Rusty nodded and literally dove inside as the man closed the door.

Terry screamed and grabbed the shotgun that Jack dropped and hit the man in the back with the stock, but the man didn't stop, so Terry hit the man in the back of the head, dazing the man. Jack brought his feet up and kicked the man off of him.  
"Are you alright?" Terry asked, but Jack didn't say anything. He reached into a cabinet and took a .45 revolver, as well as the shotgun from the floor and several extra rounds and shells. He walked over to the man, looking down at him. He aimed the revolver and shot him in the head.  
He peeked out the alley to see more of them walking down the alley. Three more, one of them was one of the teenagers that was in the store earlier.  
"Sorry! We're closed!" Jack shouted and closed the door, locking it. Jack ran back to the front of the store and ran for the entrance, tossing a 9mm to Terry.  
"Don't shoot yourself in the foot, Rune!"  
"Hey, wait a minute! Where the hell are you going?" Terry shouted.  
"I'm going home. To hell with this job!"  
Jack ran down the street, noticing that there weren't many people out on the streets, just a couple walking on the other side. Jack squinted his bad eyes to get a better view of them and noticed that they were bleeding too. They were walking across the street after him, but they were slow, so he ran towards his house. Jack got to his house in a few minutes, but then he remembered Terry.  
_Should I go back and help him? No, I left the news on. If he watches it, then he'll realize what's going on and get out of there. If not, he can just nail 'em with head shots.  
_He opened the door to his house, and nearly bumped into another one of them. He fired the revolver, blasting its skull apart. Even before it crumpled to the floor, Jack grabbed a dresser, brought it to the door, and covered the door, but not before locking it. He ran out to his garage and got a large board of wood, some nails and a hammer. He placed the board over the window in his living room and nailed it to the wall. He ran back for more wood and nailed the upstairs window shut, taking him about an hour. The entire time, he was oblivious to what was going on outside, except for the TV. They were talking about the walking dead and how they could be killed or how you would know if someone were infected, but they still didn't seem to know what to do. Then he heard pounding on his door. Jack walked downstairs with the hammer in his hand, but he also grabbed the shotgun and revolver. He walked to the door and pressed against the dresser.  
"Mr. Keaton, help!" he heard the girl from next door say. He looked back at his television, which he'd been listening to for the past hour, to see live helicopter footage with Umbrella helicopters and trucks landing mercenaries down on the ground.  
"Help," he said aloud. "There's help!"  
Jack moved the dresser and looked out the peek hole to see her with two other guys that he didn't know, and he didn't know if they were infected. But then he saw a group of zombies devour the girl and one of the boys. The scene was so disturbing that Jack couldn't move—  
—until he saw the other male. He grabbed the shotgun, opened the door and shouted, "Get in!"  
The man nodded and jumped into the house. As Jack locked the door, he turned to the man.  
"You okay?"  
The man nodded nervously. "Yeah."  
Jack looked out the window and saw more of them coming towards the house. Even now, he wondered if Raccoon was as fouled up as Urkburrow…and if Stephanie ever got out.

Stephanie ran out of the car and towards the house, pulling out her revolver. Jimmy got out and followed, his gun drawn. She entered the house with a smile but it disappeared when she saw the house in such a mess.  
"Beau!" she yelled. There was no answer. Stephanie walked upstairs, her heart pounding. She entered the bedroom and gasped. Beau was on the floor, breathing heavily, an empty blood-streaked 9mm clutched in his right hand. Blood covered him from head to toe.  
He looked up, his eyes fluttering. "Steph?"  
Stephanie sat next to him. "I'm here."  
He sighed. "Thank God you're okay…who's the kid?"  
Jimmy stepped forward, tucking his handgun into his belt. "I'm Jimmy Frost. I rescued Stephanie after her bus crashed."  
Beau coughed weakly. "Thank you…for saving her."  
He was slipping, fast. Stephanie leaned in closer, trying to comfort him.  
"Shh…tell me what happened."  
"Those things attacked me…I tried to fight them off, but…you know I was never good with a gun. They surrounded me…but I managed to kill them…Oh, Steph, I was so worried about you!"  
Stephanie was crying. "I'm so sorry. I ran off."  
Beau patted her head with his hand, a weak smile on his bloodstained face.  
"It's okay. What's important is that you're home safe. Listen, go to the safe and get out your uncle's gun. You're gonna have to defend yourself."  
Stephanie nodded and did as she was told. While doing so, she heard a loud sigh. She turned to see Beau lying there, dead.

As Urban headed back to his house, he just couldn't get the image of those…dead people that tried to eat him. It was just, well, it was just impossible! And those mercs from Umbrella shooting them in cold blood…  
_No, they were dead already,_ he reminded himself. _And if you didn't get out of there, you would've been next.  
_He was still on that train of thought when he stopped at a roadblock set up by more Umbrella mercenaries, and RPD officers as well. A young woman and an older officer then approached him. Urban then noticed that her holster was unsnapped, meaning that she would shoot him if he had the symptoms.  
_Careful, Stan…  
_"Excuse me, sir," the woman asked, "but why are you heading back to the city? It's too dangerous."  
"But I have too," Urban replied. "My wife is in danger!"  
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't," said the man.  
"Jerry, let me handle this," the young girl said.  
"Alright," he snorted.  
Jerry headed back to the roadblock, leaving his partner to talk to Urban. He noticed that she had "TRAINEE" pinned on her breast pocket. Apparently, she still had much to learn.  
_Maybe I can trick her into letting me go back…  
_"Sorry about that…he doesn't always trust strangers."  
She saw the medical kit on his car seat. "Are you a doctor?"  
"Yes. Stanley Urban."  
"I'm Miranda Irons. Now, about entering the city…"  
"I know, it's off limits, but I'm sure the hospital needs me!"  
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you go back—"  
"Listen to me, you damn rookie! My wife is all I've got, and I'm not gonna let some walking dead people get in my way of finding her."  
Miranda sighed, and Urban knew that it worked. "Alright. But we'll come with you."  
Then Jerry and Miranda got into their squad car and followed Urban into the city.  
_Please, Naomi, please still be alive…  
_He drove on, wondering if she survived.

It all happened so fast that Jimmy still couldn't believe it.  
One minute, Stephanie's friend was alive. The next, he was gone. Then, when Stephanie went to get the gun from the safe, he was just staring at Beau's corpse. He knew what it was like to lose someone close to you.  
_I'm sorry, Stephanie.  
_He was still reeling from the news about Joseph's death in the mountains.  
_What was it the cop said? Dobermans murdered him? And the zombies…they matched the description of the guys behind the cannibal murders…  
_Then, he put two and two together.  
_Of course! There WAS something going on up there in the mountains! I just didn't believe it back then…  
_He was so focused on his musings that he didn't hear movement until it was almost too late.  
Beau was getting up, bloody and looking really, really hungry. Jimmy backed away, knowing that this was just impossible, that he just died a minute ago—  
—and he couldn't draw his gun; he was just so confused.  
A moment later, there were two loud gunshots, and Beau fell down, with a neat hole in his left temple. He turned around and saw Stephanie lowering her revolver and a handgun. She then turned away, putting on her sunglasses.  
"Stephanie…"  
"I know. There was nothing else I could do…"  
Then they heard more gunshots. Those were from next door.  
"That's Mr. Keaton's house!"  
Whoever this Keaton guy was, he definitely needed some help. Stephanie grabbed two more clips from the safe and together, she and Jimmy left the house, both pulling out their weapons.

Rusty was breathing heavily and was thankful of Jack for letting him take shelter in his house. Based on what was happening out there, it was the right decision.  
Jack came back from downstairs and handed him a 9mm. Rusty took it, since his own weapon was long gone. Taking the weapon, his thoughts turned back to Richard and Theo, dead in the ambulance. Then his thoughts turned to the other paramedics out there, obviously not knowing about the disease. They could easily get bitten and turn into those things.  
"Hey, kid," Jack said, "you know how to use that thing?"  
Rusty held up his weapon, managing a smile.  
"Yeah, I can."  
Just as they loaded up, they heard a shot from next door. Right after that, several more of those flesh-eaters surrounded the house. Together, they began to bash down the boarded-up windows. Jack aimed his shotgun at the closest one and fired, its head disintegrated. The carrier went down, same as the others Rusty had seen.  
_If Urkburrow's this bad, then what's happening in Raccoon City?  
_Rusty opened fire as well, but his aim wasn't as good. He kept going for body shots.  
"Aim for the head!" Jack shouted.  
He did so, and they went down. But then, they heard the back door smash open!  
_Shit! They're inside!  
_Jack was heading up the stairs. "Come on!"  
Rusty followed, but one of the zombies caught his leg.  
"Rusty!"  
He screamed in pain as the zombies were tearing him apart. During that, he couldn't believe that this was happening to him. After all he went through, his whole life was worth nothing. He would end up being lunch.  
_But I can still see my friends in heaven…  
_"Just…go…" he rasped.  
With that, he pointed the gun to his mouth, wished for eternal rest, and fired. He fell to the floor, dead as a doornail, and into the zombie crowd.

Jack saw Rusty shoot himself in the head. He then saw the group of zombies heading towards him. And among them, he saw Terry.  
"Terry!"  
Terry shambled towards him, his mouth drooling with hunger. Jack simply aimed his gun, knowing that Terry was beyond any help, and shot him. He looked away when he saw the upper half of his face blow away.  
_Oh, God. Why did this happen?  
_He climbed up the stairs. He went into his bedroom and pushed the dresser against the door. He grabbed the ammo he took from the store and reloaded. Then he heard someone heading to the house. He looked out the window to see a boy and a blonde girl.  
_It just has to be Wesker…I recognize that blonde hair anywhere.  
_He was right. It was Steph. And she appeared to be armed. More good news for her…  
_But what if she's searching for me? No, she'll get eaten too. I gotta get her away—  
_The zombies had made it to the second floor. He yelled out through the window.  
"Steph! Get away!"  
She looked up with a look of fear, trying to draw her weapon. She saw something above him—  
—and in the split-second he did, he saw something impossible: a skinned…thing with a long tongue.  
_Bam! Bam!  
_Then, as soon as it appeared, it was dead, shot in the head twice. As it fell to the ground, he saw Stephanie lowering a revolver.  
_She just saved my life…  
_Jack smiled. He figured he wasn't going to die just yet.

Stephanie saw something she was sure never existed. Even though it was dark, she still had a vivid description: red skin, exposed brain, thick talons, and a six-foot tongue.  
_And that thing's gonna eat Mr. Keaton!  
_She opened up, sending two shots into its brain. It fell to the ground, dead.  
"Mr. Keaton! Are you all right?"  
Mr. Keaton let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah."  
"Come on. We need to get out of here."  
Mr. Keaton nodded and actually jumped out of his bedroom window. He landed on the ground, not far from where she shot that monster.  
_Monsters, zombies, killings…what the hell's going on in this city?  
_"Steph! We gotta move!" Jimmy shouted.  
"R-Right…come on, Mr. Keaton!"  
The three of them continued on down the streets when they saw someone fighting off several zombies, and more of those red monsters, with a 9mm handgun. His gun clicked empty. He paused to reload and saw Stephanie…and her weapon.  
"A little help, please?"  
Stephanie grabbed her weapons and went to help him mop up. For some reason, the kid was just as good as she was, if not better. His reaction time was almost instant, and his aim was dead-on. Every shot he fired struck them in the head. Within minutes, the zombies and the tongue-freaks were dead and the street was secure…for the moment.  
Stephanie got a clear look at him due to the burning fires nearby while she reloaded her pistol and discarded her empty revolver. He was a young male, dressed in a black T-shirt and blue jeans, he had black combat boots, and he was wearing a shoulder harness that also supported a combat knife and a hip holster belt for his 9mm Beretta, similar to those used by the RPD. He was also wearing a blue denim jacket as well as an empty thigh holster on his right leg for carrying a spare weapon.  
"Who are you?" Stephanie asked.  
The young man reached into his side-pack and slapped a fresh clip into his handgun. Apparently, he wasn't rattled at all during the fight; he maintained his calm.  
"My name's Alex Walker," said the young man. "And you?"  
"Stephanie Wesker. You can call me Steph. And this is Jimmy Frost and Jack Keaton."  
Jimmy and Mr. Keaton nodded. Then they were surrounded by dozens of zombies. Scared, they all raised their weapons, already knowing that they were hopelessly outnumbered as they came closer—  
—when a black van stopped in front of them. Several men in combat gear hopped out of the back and secured the immediate idea, blasting the things until they stopped moving.  
"Who called the cavalry?" Alex asked dryly.  
A man came out of the van as well. But he was in a suit. He also kept a cool expression.  
"Stephanie Wesker? We're with U.B.C.S. We need your assistance."  
_Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service? They need _my_ help?  
_"What is this about?"  
The man still kept cool. "It's about the outbreak. We need your skills in this manner."  
_Whoa. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, they need my help.  
_Stephanie sighed; there was no way out of it. "Alright."  
With no objections, the four of them entered the van. At that moment, she wondered if Barry Burton managed to get out of the city, and if there would be a plan to bring Raccoon back to its normal self.

At Raccoon Hospital, Jacob Williams locked himself inside an office. He managed to find a backpack to hold additional first-aid supplies and a .38 revolver fully loaded with six rounds. But that alone wouldn't stop them.  
_They're zombies, plain and simple, _he thought_. But why are they here in the first place?  
_He looked out the window; the zombies still kept coming. Even though he was safe, the entire hospital was overrun. Even if he found a clear path, he wouldn't last ten seconds out there.  
_Either way, I'm probably gonna die. The shit's really hit the fan this time_—  
He heard a knock at the door. Not a bang, but a knock. He checked the crack, and it was definitely a survivor. He opened the door, and a doctor jumped inside.  
"Stan?"  
Stanley Urban got up, completely rattled.  
"Jacob? What are you doing here?"  
"I got called in. I know I'm just a student, but I still had to."  
"I see."  
"Anyway, since I was too late to help anyone, I'm getting outta here. Wanna come with?"  
Stanley shook his head. "No way. I'm staying here until the calvary comes! And I'm not talking about those guns-for-hire!"  
Jacob sighed. "Fine."  
_Maybe it's for the best, actually. He'll be safe as long as he stays in this office.  
_He grabbed the .38 from the table and headed to the window, towards the fire escape.  
"Don't worry. I'll be back for you. Just stay here."  
He climbed the ladder down and ran down the street.  
_I hope you'll be okay when I get back, Stan.  
_As he turned towards the clock tower, Jacob had the strong feeling that he would be praying for a long while.

Miranda and Jerry lost track of Dr. Urban.  
Apparently, somewhere along the way, he managed to give them the slip. They had spent a good two hours searching for him with no success.  
"Where is he?" Jerry asked.  
She didn't have an answer. She should have known he had other plans. She groaned in her head; it was already half past nine, and she was tired, but they had a job to do.  
_Now we have to turn back and keep everyone out of the city,_ she thought.  
She was still freaked out by the lack of communications since yesterday, and that definitely was reason enough to head back. They had to check the station, see if anyone was still alive over there; based on that officer's panicked voice, and the sounds of hundreds of firearms, it was definitely bad.  
_What if the murderers are organizing?  
_Bad train of thought. She shook it off almost violently. They were about to turn around when they saw a woman walking on the road. They got out of the car and headed to her.  
"Ma'am, we need to leave now," Jerry said.  
But then the woman came into the light, her face pale, her nightgown shredded and streaked with blood, her eyes white and opaque, and bit him!  
"Jerry!"  
He pulled back, holding his bloody side. The woman also clawed his leg. Miranda stepped forward, unholstered her weapon, and shot at the woman. She sent two shots to the heart. Both of them hit and she still kept coming! She then aimed at her kneecap. She went down, but she was still crawling towards her.  
_This is _not_ happening!  
_The two of them grabbed their MP5A5 submachine guns and emptied their clips, shredding her entire body with bullets, and it was still crawling. Finally, she stomped on her skull as hard as she could. The head split apart under her boot. She had to swallow back bile as she looked away and checked on Jerry, discarding her submachine gun.  
He was bleeding very badly. He had to get to a hospital, and fast. However, she saw that many of the roads were blocked, and there were also more of those things beyond the barricades. She took off her tie and tied it around his leg as a makeshift tourniquet and grabbed a gauze pad from the squad car's first-aid kit. She removed her cap temporarily to wipe sweat from her forehead before putting it on again after binding Jerry's side, accepting what she just saw.  
_That was a zombie, no question. I guess the S.T.A.R.S. weren't crazy after all—  
_"Miranda…look."  
He pointed to a large air vent of some sort. Grabbing her flashlight, she pointed the torch and her 9mm into the dark tunnel. Going down would be a bad idea…  
_But so is staying here,_ she thought. As if it weren't dangerous enough, several more of those monsters were coming, the closest of them already cutting them off from the car.  
Jerry grabbed his reloaded MP5A5, his face taut with pain. "We don't have a choice."  
That decided it for them. They headed down the tunnel, hoping that it led anywhere where they could rest…and where they could find some help.

After Jacob left the hospital, Urban looked through the file cabinets, looking for anything to defend himself with. He was just about to give up when he heard someone knocking at the door.  
"Stanley! Are you in there!"  
_Naomi!  
_"Naomi, are you okay?"  
"Stanley, please let me in!"  
He opened the door, and Naomi dove in.  
"_Close the door!"_ she shrieked.  
Urban closed the door and caught a glimpse of something slimy.  
"Leeches. I hate leeches!" she cried.  
Urban checked on her. She had several bite marks on her legs from those leech-things. He had seen several of them on the ground floor. _Where did they come from?  
_"Ow…it itches…"  
Urban heard Naomi complain. Then he went to get some ointment to relieve the itching.  
"Here, honey."  
She applied it, but it still kept hurting. "Stanley, what's happening to me? I feel sick…"  
"I don't know. By the way, why aren't you home?"  
"I went to the door," Naomi said, "but then these guys tried to bite me. I got into the minivan and came here. But by the time I got here, lots of those crazy people had already taken over. And the leeches…my God, the leeches. What's going on, Stanley? What the hell's going on!"  
He really wished he knew. "Don't worry. We're gonna get out of here! I just gotta call Paul and George. They'll sort this out—"  
Then he heard something, from the ceiling. A huge group of leeches poured out of the vent…and went toward Naomi's wounded legs, toward her blood. Urban grabbed Naomi off the ground and broke the door open. However, something else came right at them: more leeches, but in the shape of a man.  
_No way…  
_It was Urban's last thought before he died.


	6. Chapter 4: Two Days Later

From the beginning, Alex Walker knew this wouldn't be a good week. Then again, he never knew _how_ bad it would be.

When he first came into town six days ago, he was initially looking for someone. Who he was looking for, he couldn't remember. In fact, since he entered town, he barely remembered anything about what happened to him when he was a kid. All he knew was what happened after his parents died.

_It's not like me to have amnesia…_

When he was only eight, a scientist murdered them. Since then, he was put in an orphanage and then became a drifter, where he learned the skills he needed to survive in the outside world, all the way from commando training to self-defense training. He even had good friendships with other orphans back then. Thirteen years had passed, and he was still trying to find out who killed his parents. But now, his search for answers had ended up becoming a fight for survival in a mass graveyard. He killed his first when he was knocked off his Harley, got to his feet and kicked him in the head, hard. Only then did he realize that striking them in the head was the only way to kill them.

_It's just like those old horror movies…_

Then he holed up inside a gun shop and searched for any weapons left over. He found a knife that could come in handy, a 9mm Beretta with a custom laser sight, and some extra rounds for the handgun. He also saw a couple of shotguns, but then decided against it.

_Never really liked shotguns,_ he had said, and it wasn't the time to start.

Then two days ago, he entered Urkburrow, and saw people killed by the zombies. He was alone, but that didn't bother him for some reason. He simply took them out with his Beretta, one by one.

And that was when Steph, Jimmy, and Jack came. And the U.B.C.S. soldiers.

Now, it was the 28th, and Alex and Jimmy were waiting outside the command tent, waiting for Steph to come out. When she came back, she was dressed in a tactical vest, an olive-drab shirt with short sleeves and tan-colored pants, black gloves with her index fingers exposed, black elbow caps and knee caps, and she still had her sunglasses.

She was armed with a combat knife, an M4A1 assault rifle with a thirty-round clip, and she still carried her original handgun. The familiar Umbrella logo was appliquéd on the back of her vest and on her left sleeve, except it was also emblazoned with a small shield and a pair of swords, a mercenary marking.

_She's definitely dressed and armed for combat. Of course, it also means she's a merc…_

She took off her shooting goggles and mask, revealing her face.

"As of right now, I'm in the U.B.C.S.," she said.

"Heh…that's kind of funny, since you're only 16," Jimmy replied.

"Well, she _is_ a Wesker, though," Alex said.

She smiled. "Good point. Is Mr. Keaton okay?"

Alex nodded. "Jack's being sent to New York. He'll be safe there."

Then the colonel in control of her squad shouted, "Recon Squad, fall in!"

Steph put her stuff back on her head and around her eyes and face, obviously smiling from the fact that her friend was safe, and ran to her squad, which consisted of their leader, herself, and 10 other men and women.

_My God, they're well organized._

"Here's the lowdown: we're going into Raccoon City to confirm the severity of the damage caused by whatever this plague is. I want all of you to proceed with caution."

He nodded to a male soldier. "We'll split into two teams. Hawkins, you take Wesker, Tyrell, Mitchell, Carson, and Watkins. I'll command team two. Our rendezvous will be at St. Michael's Clock Tower. Either that, or we try to find Mikhail Victor and his team."

Alex saw Steph shudder into a cold sweat. She was actually going into the city…

_And she doesn't know how bad it is!_

"Wait, Colonel!"

The soldier looked at Alex. "What do you want, civilian?"

"We would like to go with Hawkins' group."

Jimmy grabbed a SPAS 12 shotgun and pumped it before grabbing an extra handful of shells.

"There's no way I'm gonna let Steph go in there without help," he said as he also grabbed a side pack to hold extra rounds and a tactical vest.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Alex said. "I've had combat experience, sir. Besides, we already know what's in there."

He sighed. "Very well. Just don't get in the way."

As the soldiers went to their designated squads, Steph whispered in Alex's ear.

"Thanks…"

After two days, Miranda was beginning to give up hope.

Despite their best efforts, and a long rest, she and Jerry were still lost in the ventilation system, and her radio wasn't working, which meant that either the transmitter was destroyed, or there was no one in the station.

_That's not good…_

They entered another vent, and it looked exactly the same as all the others. She checked her watch; it was September 28th, and it was 4:30 P.M.

_That's just great. We're lost, and we have no way to call for backup. At this rate, we won't make it._

Then they looked up…and saw something above them. They could see it through the grate.

It was a man, but since when did a man grow a completely misshapen arm…with a giant eye where his shoulder should be?

Miranda shuddered. Apparently, zombies weren't the only problem for Raccoon City. The sad part about it was that she had just started to finally believe _that_.

_Think about something else…_anything_ else._

They waited for the weird-arm guy to pass, and then they pushed the grate away. They climbed up, and saw that they were in some sort of factory, the room dominated by a large gaping hole.

_What kind of crap is _this?

Deciding that it was a waste of time to guess what it was, they entered the only door they could see.

Inside was a management office of some sort. They checked the cabinets and found some first-aid supplies in the middle one. Miranda took this opportunity to patch up Jerry, who lost quite a lot of blood. Within minutes, he was starting to feel like himself again.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Miranda shook her head. "I have no idea. But at least we're safe."

Jerry nodded. Miranda took this opportunity to check the rest of the lockers for anything good. When she opened them, she let out a laugh.

She found a police-issue Remington M870 pump-action shotgun with a carrying strap fully loaded with seven shells in the left cabinet and extra batteries for her torch and two clips for her weapon in the right. Miranda volunteered to take the twelve-gauge and ammo.

Other than the shotgun, she also had a S.T.A.R.S. standard-issue Beretta M92FS, a 9mm handgun that was also equipped with a special laser sight, fifteen bullets. Not necessarily RPD issue, but it was a good gun nonetheless. Not as small as the Browning HP, but at least it wasn't as bulky as the H&K VP70, another RPD issue weapon.

_Plus, it helped me get through the Academy…_

With the extra ammo, she had sixty spare bullets and twelve in her weapon. Jerry still had a full clip in his Browning and two spare clips in his pack, plus thirty rounds in his submachine gun. With the shotgun, they were definitely ready to go.

Then, they saw a computer terminal. It was some sort of control panel for a platform elevator, possibly for that large shaft outside.

_But then again, why go deeper into this hell?_

Their only other choice was to go down the ladder across the room. Mentally flipping a coin, they headed to the ladder, wondering if it was such a hot idea.

Jerry couldn't believe his eyes.

After climbing down the ladder, they'd ended up in some sort of utilitarian passageway. Several zombies were here as well. Thankfully, they were very slow. They'd dodged the shambling monsters and entered another passage. There were no monsters in here, but the smell was still present. It was the smell of death. They had edged down the passage, and saw several shell casings, as well as two dead dogs.

"Oh, God…" Miranda said. Jerry nodded. Both dogs had their bodies shredded by automatic fire, probably from an assault rifle.

They were from the RPD's K-9 Unit. He knew because their collars were next to them.

He picked them up, reading the names: Chuck and Roger.

"Poor dogs…" Miranda breathed.

Jerry nodded. "They didn't deserve this…"

Whoever did this to the dogs was going to pay big time. They headed to the next door and ended up at an aerial cable car of some sort. It was slightly similar to the tram at the zoo; he rode on that one with his wife and son plenty of times.

"Maybe we can use this," Jerry said.

Miranda swept the area with the shotgun before entering the car.

"It's clear!"

Jerry entered the cable car as well. They found a .357 next to the control panel. Jerry took the revolver and started the cable car. Hopefully it would lead somewhere safer.

At that moment, he realized that he never told Miranda what happened to those who got bitten.

_For now, why make her worry? If it gets bad, I'll shoot myself in the head. Until then, I'm still able to defend myself._

Jerry nodded inwardly to himself, knowing that his minutes as a human were numbered.

Within twenty minutes, Jimmy, Alex, and Steph were separated from the squad.

Hawkins had led them into an industrial complex. It was quiet…too quiet.

Then, they attacked.

_What the hell are those things!_

What they engaged was unlike anything they had ever faced. Green, reptilian-like monsters with huge claws and very intense hunger. And they were _definitely_ hungry.

The squad engaged the monsters. Assault rifles and submachine gun fire echoed through the complex. Jimmy pulled his shotgun and joined the fray, with Steph's rifle and Alex's Beretta providing backup. Even though they were making some headway, they just kept coming. Then the three of them were forced to run for it. They heard Hawkins and his squad from far away, running the opposite way.

They were running, not sure where they were going—

—when they almost fell into a zombie group.

_Shit!_

They managed to regain their balance and started running in another direction.

"_Over here!"_ shouted Alex. He pointed to a gun shop. The front door was unlocked, and Jimmy saw a familiar white van.

It was Kendo's Gun Shop, the only shop in Raccoon to actually provide weapons for the RPD. They went inside, and Robert Kendo was nowhere to be seen.

_I hope he's okay…_

They checked their remaining weapons and ammo. Alex was down to a full clip in his Beretta and his survival knife. Jimmy had four shells left, and they were all in the shotgun, plus seven rounds in the gun he took from the cop just two days before and a full clip. Steph had three rounds left in the assault rifle and a full clip in one of her vest pockets, plus ten rounds in the handgun and a spare magazine.

A moment later, Alex found three clips for his weapon under the counter as well as a small flashlight that he attached to his knife sheath with a roll of electrical tape. Jimmy found fourteen shotgun shells and a single clip for his handgun near the back door and placed them into his vest pockets. Steph found two extra clips for her Beretta and another full clip for the rifle next to the magazine rack.

It all felt like some sort of nightmare, the situation he was in. Three days ago, he found out that his brother was dead. As if that wasn't enough to make him scared, then the zombies started attacking. He'd barely got out of the area without a scratch. Then meeting Steph and Alex completely changed things. After he had met them, he was now back in Raccoon, which was now completely overrun by the undead.

"Alex," Jimmy asked, reloading his shotgun. "Why did you come to Raccoon?"

Alex looked up and answered as he reloaded his empty pistol. "I came here looking for someone: a scientist. He used to work for Umbrella back in '85. I need to ask him some questions about my parents."

"Your parents?" Steph asked. She locked a fresh mag into the rifle.

"Yeah. They were Umbrella researchers. They were killed by that same man."

Steph sighed. "So was my uncle. He got killed at the Spencer estate."

"Really?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't believe it at first. And right now, I still can't believe it."

Jimmy was surprised. Just the fact that her uncle was an Umbrella scientist made him question her loyalties, but then he shook it off.

_She's not the same person as her uncle. I'm pretty sure I can trust her…_

"Don't worry, Steph," Alex said. "I'm sure you'll find out someday."

"Thanks, Alex."

Jimmy looked outside. "Those lizards are gone now. It's clear."

He grabbed his shotgun and went ahead of the others. He then bumped into a young man, who pointed a .38 at his face. His arm didn't even waiver.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Jimmy Frost. These are my friends, Alex Walker and Stephanie Wesker."

He saw Steph take off her facemask and goggles.

The boy lowered his weapon. "Jacob Williams. I'm a medical student."

"Nice to meet you."

Steph went inside the gun shop and brought out a holster assembly and five speed-loaders for Jacob's revolver.

"Here," she said. "You might need this."

Jacob took off his jacket and donned the holster, stuffing the speed-loaders into his ammo pack.

"Thanks. I also found these while I was out in the streets."

His backpack had plenty of first-aid supplies, but he also had a .357 Magnum and four racked speed-loaders. Alex took the heavy revolver and ammo, loaded the gun, and put the weapon in his thigh holster, tucking the bullets into his pack. In addition, he had two half-full rifle clips. Steph combined them into one and placed the full clip in her vest. He also had a scope for her rifle, which she attached to it. And last, but not least, he had six shells for Jimmy's shotgun. He tucked them into his own vest pockets.

"Thanks for the ammo." Jimmy said.

"Yeah. Come on," said Alex, gripping his weapon. "We need to keep moving."

With that, the four of them continued on, heading deeper into the dead city.

It turned out that the cable car was connected to the sewer system. Miranda and Jerry left the car and headed further into the underbelly of Raccoon.

Miranda then noticed the corpses of several soldiers amidst the sludge that went halfway up to their chests. Miranda had to control the urge to vomit as she waded their way through.

"Shh…"

She stood still. Jerry was worried about something. Then he aimed his MP5A5 around the tunnel. Then he pointed it to Miranda's face.

"Jerry?"

He fired a single shot, but not at her. He shot a spider…a giant spider.

_At least it's dead…_

"Phew…thanks," she breathed.

"Don't mention it…"

They continued on. Then they headed to another tunnel, except there were two possible exits. There was either the ladder on the wall or the door in the offshoot. They voted on the door. Then they saw that they needed two medals to raise the bars blocking access to the door. Earlier, Jerry had picked up two medallions. She was sure they would fit. They fit perfectly, and the bars went up.

_We're finally out…_

As Jerry reached for the door, he found it locked. The door was pressure-based. He had to use the valve handle on the wall to relieve it. So Miranda decided to keep an eye out while Jerry released the lock.

Suddenly, a monster appeared—a large, serpentine monster with multiple heads, each of which bared hundreds of sharp needle teeth. It looked like the mythical "Hydra" that she'd read about in high school, during her history class.

_Oh my God…_

Miranda blasted the creature in pure denial of its existence. The blast caught itself in one of the heads, but the other four were still aware of the fresh meal in front of them. Miranda dodged its bites and fired at them.

It was starting to get tiresome. No matter how much she blasted it, the heads kept coming back! They were regenerating, just like the Hydra in her high school textbook!

_It's an exercise in futility. Every time I kill a head, two more grow back!_

Then, her shotgun clicked empty.

_Damn!_

She slung it back and aimed her 9mm, firing off round after round until she clicked empty again.

"_I'm out!"_ she screamed.

Then she heard the door lock click. Jerry did it!

He blasted the monster with the .357 and submachine gun while Miranda dove into the door. He followed, and closed the door before the monster could eat them.

"Next time, I'm not ordering the eel," she breathed.

Jerry laughed and pulled her off the ground. Then just as she stepped further into a storage room of sorts, Jerry abruptly collapsed. Miranda tried to pull him up, but he pushed her away.

"No…I'm too weak to go any further. Besides, didn't you see what happened to those who got bitten? I'll end up as one of them."

Miranda shuddered. _Please, God, no!_

Jerry had his revolver in his hand. He still had one bullet left. "I'm done for. Go on without me."

Miranda was overwhelmed with anger.

"NO! I'm not leaving you! For God's sake, I'm still in training!"

"You don't understand, Miranda. It's…too late for me. But you can still get out…"

He wiped a tear off her face.

"It's okay. You'll be fine. Here…take my gun."

He handed her his Browning HP and ammo clips.

"Thanks…"

"Don't worry. Just get to the surface and find someone to help you. Escape the city. Now get the hell outta here."

She didn't move, she couldn't. She tried to think of anything to change his mind, but she knew that his mind was made up.

"Jerry—"

"_GET THE HELL OUT!"_

A pause, then Miranda nodded. "I'm sorry…"

She ran to a ladder. She climbed it and ended up in a sewer control room. She then heard a single shot, and she knew what it meant.

Jerry was dead.

_He's gone. Deal with it. You still gotta get out, remember?_

Miranda headed to the next door and reloaded her handgun. She saw a staircase heading to another floor. She opened it, and she ended up in a boiler room.

_It's the RPD basement levels. I made it._

She hurried, into a hall, down the stairs, past some more spiders, up a ladder, past the kennel, and past the parking lot. When she got to the main B1 corridor, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd actually made it to a safe haven. She ran some more and eventually made it to the main hall. It was as empty as the entire station, except for the handful of zombies she dodged along the way.

_Where _is_ everyone?_

She headed to the front doors and steeled herself for a confrontation, checking her Beretta. She had enough surprises for one day.

She opened the doors, and several people were aiming weapons…at her.

_Okay, now that was unexpected…_

Miranda holstered her weapon, and the civilians did the same with theirs. The group consisted of three Caucasian males and a single Caucasian female, all of which were scared out of their wits. She took the time to see them in detail.

One male was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, and a matching denim jacket. He carried a knife in a shoulder harness, a Beretta 9mm just like hers in a hip holster, and a Colt Python revolver in a thigh holster.

Another was wearing a white shirt with black jeans and a Kevlar vest, and he was carrying a SPAS 12 shotgun with a strap and a Browning HP tucked in his belt, the same model Jerry used.

The third male was in a more professional outfit. He was wearing a suit, but his jacket was gone and he was also using a backpack. He only carried a .38 snub-nose in a shoulder holster.

The girl was dressed in Umbrella military gear, but she'd discarded her headgear at some point. She carried an M4A1 rifle, another Beretta 9mm in a thigh holster, and another knife on her hip.

_Better introduce yourself…_

"I'm Officer Irons of the RPD," she said simply.

The woman nodded. "I'm Stephanie Wesker, U.B.C.S. That's Alex Walker, Jimmy Frost, and Jacob Williams."

"Wait a minute. Wesker and Frost?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. "She's Wesker's niece and I was Joseph's brother."

Miranda sighed. "I see."

At that moment, she was then just staring at Alex. For a while, it was almost as if she knew him.

"Do I…know you? I think I've seen you as a kid," she asked.

Alex shook his head. "I don't know. I don't remember anything from before the orphanage where I grew up."

Miranda was dumbfounded. "The Raccoon Orphanage? I was from there, too."

"How old were you?"

"Eight," she replied.

Alex blinked. "So was I. Maybe we did meet, but I'm not sure."

She shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. Anyway, we better get inside."

Moments later, the five of them stood at the receptionist's desk. Miranda logged in and checked for personnel locations.

"_Checking…all RPD officers are currently unaccounted for…unable to establish contact…communication failure."_

She logged off the computer and wondered if Uncle Brian was okay.

_Well, if you count being obsessed with art and women, then maybe he's okay…_

She laughed in her mind. Brian Irons was a fruitcake, plain and simple. Miranda was just lucky that he hadn't kicked her off the force just for the hell of it, much less shot her.

Shrugging the thought off, she printed off a map of the city and showed it to the others.

Alex spoke up first: "It's useless to take the back roads. They're blocked off as well as all front exits. The entire city is cut off from the outside."

Stephanie added, "Plus, there's the creatures we saw at the construction site. That's also not a good idea."

"We also have another problem," Jimmy said. "We have no way of contacting anybody in the city due to the phone lines being cut."

"The hospital's out of the question, too," Jacob added. "I've been there, Officer, and it's overrun with zombies."

"Well then, we'll just have to split up and find a way out," Miranda said simply.

Everyone was confused. She simplified it for them, while grabbing radios for everybody.

"What I'm saying is that we all take different routes throughout the city and search for means of escape. You find any, and you radio in. We'll meet you there. Any questions?"

No one answered.

"Alright. I'll check the airport. There must be a plane that is still in working order."

"Then I'll check City Hall," Jacob said. "I know some people there."

Alex pointed to the clock tower. "I'll check there. Steph's team should be there by now."

Then Steph added: "We'll take the treatment plant, then."

Miranda rolled up the map. "Okay. Let's find some vehicles to make our search easier. I'll scour the station for any more supplies, and then I'll meet you guys in the garage. Let's find a way out of here."

And so, they headed to the garage. Miranda headed to the nearest room, wondering if it was the right choice.

When they got to the RPD garage, Stephanie knew that they were in business.

The garage had plenty of squad cars in its disposal. But of course, the police wouldn't be using them anymore. Officer Irons arrived minutes later and picked the lock to the nearest S.W.A.T. van and pulled it out of the garage ramp in order to let other vehicles pass through. She then headed inside the van, grabbed a box of fourteen shotgun shells, and reloaded her twelve-gauge, slinging it back behind her when she finished and stuffing the other shells in her side pack.

"Uh, Officer—" Stephanie started.

"Just call me Miranda."

"Okay. Why is it that you're taking the van?"

Miranda had a look on her face, a look that shouldn't be coming from an officer at all.

"Well, because the airport's about fifteen miles away, and there's too many of those creeps out there. And there's the creatures to consider…"

Stephanie shuddered, remembering those things they fought at the construction site.

"Yeah. You're right…"

With that being said, Miranda started to unload what was left of the van's arsenal: two clips for Alex's Beretta, two boxes of shotgun shells for Jimmy, an H&K VP70 for Jacob, and an attachment for her rifle: an M-203 40mm grenade launcher.

_It'll make my rifle a lot heavier, but at this point, it doesn't really matter. Firepower outweighs mobility in this case…_

She took the launcher as well as six cartridges. Miranda herself pulled out a big handgun: a Desert Eagle, in fact. She also grabbed a handful of .50AE magazines for the Magnum and stuffed them into a hip pouch, holstering the large weapon in a thigh holster.

"Alex, you mind taking that police bike?"

Miranda pointed to an RPD Highway Patrol motorcycle. Alex smiled. There was an M79 grenade launcher hanging on the handlebars. He checked the barrel, and it was loaded with a single shell.

"Heh…Christmas came early this year."

He got on the bike and left the garage.

"What's with him?" Jimmy asked.

Jacob shrugged. "Beats me."

When Miranda drove out in the van, the rest of them decided to take two squad cars. Inside their squad car's glove box, Jimmy found two extra clips for his handgun. Jacob wished them farewell before driving off.

"You ready for this, Wesker?" Jimmy asked.

Stephanie grinned and slid the launcher onto her rifle, loading it with a grenade.

"Born ready, Jimmy."

"Alright. Let's go check out that plant."

With that, they drove out of the garage.

She figured out where her target went, and knew he was nearby. She was in an unfamiliar environment and still, she found her way back home; her mistress called to her.

She returned to her and knelt to her.

"Sister…I've found him." she whispered.

The mistress giggled. "Well done. You know now what to do."

"Yes. I'm to find him and kill him."

"But if you find yourself with others, just play your role and…improvise. Remember, Father's watching, so don't fail. If he finds out you're awake, it's the end for us."

"I understand," she replied.

She began to leave the room, ready to do her duty. She would not let her sister—and mistress—down. She would rather die than fail.

"Artemis…" she called. She turned to face her.

"Yes, sister?"

The mistress smiled. "Have fun."

With that, Artemis smiled back and left.


	7. Chapter 5: New Partners, New Problems

The treatment plant looked foreboding, but they still had to check it out.

Jimmy unslung his shotgun and went ahead. The coast was clear, so he signaled Steph to follow. She unholstered her 9mm before joining him on the bridge.

"Hello?"

His call, although light, still echoed around them.

"I don't think anyone's gonna answer, Jimmy."

"Right. I knew that."

Steph grinned, but when they reached the doors to the plant, her grin faded away. Jimmy grasped the door handles. They were unlocked.

_That was expected…_

They entered the plant. It was dimly lit and it smelled funny. They saw a single door in front of them to the right. However, it was locked. Turning the corner, they could see two more doors.

"Which one should we try?" Jimmy asked.

"I'll take the one on the right," Steph said. She entered the room, flashing him a quick smile before closing the door.

"Okay," he said to himself. "Let's have a look-see…"

He headed to the next door ahead. He opened it and ended up in an office of sorts. He assumed that it was for the manager.

_Well, no zombies, no lizard-freaks, and no red tongue-demons…so far, so good._

He headed to the next door and stepped inside a room literally obscured by steam. He was able to make out an elevator lift next to him. He stepped aboard and rode it down.

_Wonder what's down here…_

He aimed the shotgun ahead of him as the lift descended—

—and ended up in a storage room of sorts. Ahead of him was a big safe. He couldn't find any input device to crack the lock, so he ignored it. Instead, he noticed a small box covered by a thin sheet. He pulled the sheet and discovered a small pile of ammo.

_Oh, yeah._

There were two 5.56mm rifle magazines, which would definitely fit Steph's rifle, and two boxes of shotgun shells. These shells were a little different. It read, "Incendiary Shells. Handle with Care."

_Hmm…_

He took the incendiary shells and the rifle clips, wondering what exactly they were using these on—

—when he heard machinery from somewhere in the plant. Then, he heard screaming, a roar, and gunfire.

_Steph!_

He scrambled back to the lift, vaguely aware that he dropped his radio, and pressed the Up switch, hoping that he wasn't too late.

The zombies were too slow to worry about, so Alex sped past them, not really caring.

_If they can't run, they're not much of a threat…_

He continued on, past the decaying cannibals and past more flaming debris. Steph and Jimmy had already gone through here, since the treatment plant was near his destination. And if they ran into trouble, they could easily regroup at the tower.

_At least I hope so…_

He arrived at the clock tower well before dark. He parked next to the front gate, in case he had to get out quickly. He walked to the front doors and opened them, his gun drawn.

Inside there were four U.B.C.S. soldiers…and they all aimed their MP5A5s at him. One of them was familiar.

"Hawkins!"

The Russian remembered him, his accent thick in the cool, still lobby. "Mr. Walker. You're alive."

"So are you and your posse. Any luck getting backup over here?"

"No such luck. Are Wesker and Frost okay?"

Alex smiled. "Knowing Steph and Jimmy, they wouldn't croak easily."

Hawkins smiled back. "That's good. As a matter of fact, there's two systems that will help us signal the helicopter."

Alex's eyes widened. "Helicopter? That's good. I gotta call in my friends…"

"Friends? There's more civilians?"

"Yeah. Now how do we call in the helicopter?"

"One way is to ring the bells, but we need special gears to get it to work. Another way is to find an auxiliary system that will ring the bells without them. But we've had trouble finding it."

Alex nodded. "I see. You guys need a hand?"

Hawkins paused for a moment.

"Sure. I mean, you didn't get in our way before, so, yeah, you can help us."

"Thanks."

Hawkins spoke to his troops. "Carson, you and the others check the first floor. Walker and I will take the second. If you find anything, we'll meet back here. Move out!"

They split into their respected groups. Alex and Hawkins headed to the second floor to search for the auxiliary system.

Pavel Hawkins was afraid. But if he revealed it to his team, they'd lose their morale, so he kept it to himself.

_Alex Walker, though…_

He'd only known Walker a few minutes, before and after their reunion in the clock tower, but he could tell that he had nothing to fear, which was, to be honest, scary in itself.

They skirted the second floor quickly; it wasn't exactly a floor per se, but a balcony and a single door at the end. The bell tower was right behind that door, though he already looked up there before.

Walker was pointing his Beretta towards the ceiling. Pavel looked up to see big mounds of webbing…and people inside them.

_Whoa…_

"I've seen the spiders in this city. They're huge," Walker said coolly.

"You wouldn't happen to have a big can of Raid, would ya?" Pavel asked.

Walker chuckled. Pavel told himself that it was the first time he'd seen him actually laugh.

"No. Do you?"

It was Pavel's turn to laugh. Walker smiled in response. Then his smile faded as they stepped outside. There was a single zombie up there with them. Walker killed it with a single 9mm round. Then they walked to the edge of the railing.

Pavel shivered. It was definitely cold outside the building.

"Is that where the bells are?" Walker pointed to the top of the tower.

Pavel nodded. "I checked. The gears are missing."

His radio beeped. He clicked the transmit button. "This is Hawkins, over."

"_Sir! It's Carson, over."_

"Carson? What's wrong, over?"

"_We've found the auxiliary system. We're activating it now, over."_

At that moment, the bells rang. They were very powerful and loud. Walker winced.

"Good job. We're heading to the lobby, over and out."

He depressed the button and pulled his Colt .45 from his hip holster, checking the weapon. He had a full clip of seven rounds plus two more. Walker was following behind. As they climbed down the stairs, his mind was full of thoughts.

_What is Umbrella gonna think of our inefficiency to control the situation? We couldn't get this under control—_

All thoughts about his possible future were silenced immediately when he saw Carson, standing in the lobby…and bleeding, his back to Pavel.

"Carson?"

Pavel stepped towards him—

—and he just fell to the floor. He could see the large hole in his chest. He was pierced.

_Yeah, but by what? What the hell's going on?_

Then they heard a distant explosion. Pavel motioned Walker to stay inside, then stepped out onto the yard. He saw a large fire in the distance. Worst of all, there was no helicopter.

_No…_

Then he noticed the corpses of the rest of his team. He saw that they were also pierced the same way Carson was. He looked around the area, his MP5A5 ready and loaded with his last clip.

Then, someone appeared from the shadows. It was a woman. She was blonde, in her late teens, and she was wearing black clothing. She had her left hand covered with blood.

_What the hell—_

Pavel aimed his weapon at the approaching woman. He had the sense that something was _very_ wrong with her, although he didn't know how. She wasn't infected, at least on the outside. So what was the deal with her?

"Stop!" he shouted. She didn't. All she did was smile. Her smile was a wide, shark-like grin that seemed to widen even more. She was definitely crazy.

"I said 'Stop!'"

She still didn't stop. He opened fire with the MP5A5 and emptied the clip, sending thirty 9mm rounds into her. She didn't fall.

_What the—_

Suddenly, she lunged, knocking the weapon from Pavel's hands. He was pushed to the ground. The woman was heading for him, her bullet wounds no longer bleeding.

_Shit!_

She raised her arm…and her hand disappeared, replaced by sharp talons. He wouldn't be able to draw his Colt in time. She was going to gut him like a fish—

—or she would have, if not for the gunshots directed to her back. Pavel looked past her to see Walker discarding an empty assault rifle and removing his jacket. He didn't draw his guns, though. Instead, he drew his knife.

_He's crazy! He can't take her!_

"Get away!" he shouted, but he ignored him.

Then, she just lunged at Walker. He braced himself—

—and then he was throwing her against the wall. Again, Pavel was surprised by Walker's abilities. He was literally fighting her, hand-to-hand, his knife deflecting her claw. He was either extremely confident or extremely stupid. Then, they leapt out of sight, past the clock tower walls. Pavel could only stare as they disappeared from view. It seemed like an eternity had passed since that moment and he was just entirely stunned.

_What the hell is going on here?_

Just as he thought that, they reappeared, still in the fight. It seemed that Walker lost the upper hand. He was lying down on the dirt, his knife ten feet away. She almost reached him, her claw-hand flexing—

—but she suddenly turned her head toward something and jumped out of view. It took Pavel forever to get up and check on him.

"Walker?" He didn't respond. "Alex!"

Alex opened his eyes. He pushed himself into a sitting position. He groaned loudly.

"Damn…did a chick just kick my ass? I must be getting rusty…"

Pavel smiled. He was alive, at least, but that woman was still around. They had to leave.

"You alright? We have to get out of here."

Alex nodded slowly as he drew his .357 from his thigh holster and retrieved his knife. He got himself back to his feet and they decided to search the fallen soldiers for ammo.

_It's grave robbing, but at this point, it's necessary…_

They came up with six MP5A5 magazines and four shells for the M79, which Alex took. After their search, they left the clock tower. But before they could leave the general area, Pavel overheard something that sounded like a collision. He went back for a moment and saw two people crawl out of a cable car that crashed and landed in the front yard.

One of them was a woman, dressed in a blue tube top and a miniskirt. The other was a male U.B.C.S. soldier. Pavel fished out his binoculars and read the nametag: Oliveira.

_Carlos Oliveira…he's still alive._

Pavel silently wished him good luck, then went to rejoin Alex.

The entire week blurred in her head so fast, Miranda almost felt like losing it. She wondered how this all started.

_On the 22nd, there was that report about a girl being assaulted by a drunk in the park. Then, on the 25th, the RPD told us to set up roadblocks. Now, it's the 28th, and we're knee-deep. The entire force must be dead by now—_

She clamped down on the thought immediately.

_There just has to be survivors. There just has to be!_

She drove on, wondering what her next move would be—

—when she ran into something on the road. The S.W.A.T. van suddenly jumped in the air and landed on its back and it still went forward, sparks flying underneath the metal.

_Shit!_

The van finally stopped, and Miranda, after a few minutes, finally got her focus. She unbuckled her seat belt and her head landed on the roof of the cab. She felt a lump sticking out. Despite her slight injury, she was still able to function. She smashed the windshield and belly-crawled out, the shards of glass sliding past her legs. She eventually stood back up, surveying the area, wondering who—or _what_—she just hit.

Then, she saw them.

They were ten feet away, all crouched down next to a fourth one, dead. She saw that the creature was what caused her van to crash. They saw her and squealed. They looked like bluish-green squashed frogs with webbed feet and big mouths.

When they squealed, the noise sent chills down Miranda's spine. They jumped and halved the distance between them. Miranda stumbled and ran away. The frog-things were catching up.

_Damn, those things are fast!_

She tripped and fell to the ground, the rough asphalt grinding against her knees. She felt sharp talons slice her back, her uniform shirt ripping apart. She screamed in pain.

But thankfully, her little tumble sent the frog-things past her. She wasted no time. She pulled out the Desert Eagle and emptied the clip. Seven .50AE rounds slammed into all three of them. They didn't move.

Miranda reloaded her Eagle and grabbed the Remington. She walked cautiously towards the fallen monsters to make sure they were dead. She then noticed her torn shirt barely hanging off her shoulders. She stripped it off, revealing a bloodstained undershirt. And to add insult to injury, her pants were covered with several tears as well.

_Now I'm gonna need some new clothes..._

She saw a boutique a few blocks away. She broke into a jog and reached it. She entered and noticed the three zombies inside. She blew them away before dropping her weapons and checking the racks. Eventually, she found a clean, sleeveless red shirt and black shorts, as well as knee-high boots. She headed to the nearest dressing room and started to change out of what was left of her uniform, unbuckling her thigh and hip holsters.

As she did so, she wondered what would happen to her now that she was alone.

_I know what I'm going to do. I'm gonna survive. I'm gonna escape, and I'm taking those people with me!_

She knew that she had to. She owed Jerry that much.

_Jerry…_

She shook her head. Feeling guilty about the past wasn't going to change anything, except her focus; she had to stay clear-headed in order to survive.

When she finished changing clothes, she stepped out of the dressing room and looked in the mirror, at her scars and at her face, at her dirty red hair. She looked like a totally different person. She looked more like a civilian and less like the twenty-one-year-old cadet she was. For a moment, she held her badge and wondered.

_Is Raccoon ever gonna be saved?_

Again, she shook her head. It should've been taken care of a long time ago, before the blockades, before the attacks, and before the death.

_Umbrella should've helped. They practically own this town—_

Miranda's eyes widened. The S.T.A.R.S. claimed that Umbrella was behind the cannibal murders, that the cannibals were, in fact, zombies. Of course, Umbrella used its financial power to discredit them, to suspend them, just so that they could continue their research.

_They knew…and they didn't even care that they were destroying our lives!_

Now Umbrella had royally screwed up. And now the city paid the price for its narrow shortsightedness. Raccoon was dead. Her future as an RPD officer was dead. Her hope of having a normal life...was dead.

With a determined look in her eye, she threw her badge into a wastebasket next to the cash register and grabbed her weapons and holsters, the shotgun light in her hands.

_It's time to get the hell out of this urban cemetery…_

She stepped out of the boutique and shook her ponytail off. She was definitely a different person than before. She noticed a small house nearby. She stepped inside and locked the door. She had to find someplace to hole up for a while, and this house would do.

_I'm gonna make it out. We all are._

Back then, she was a cop, always prepared to follow orders. She was always loyal to Raccoon and to Umbrella. Now, she was neither. She was her own person.

She headed upstairs into the master bedroom and crashed onto the bed. Thankfully, it was clean and smelled good. She closed her tired eyes and slept. Miranda Irons was a survivor, and she was going to make it out alive. She absolutely had to.

Jacob arrived at City Hall, but his car got wrecked by some of the monsters that Steph told him about. He scrambled to the top of the stairs, and two zombies were blocking his path. He fished out his revolver and shot their heads, taking them out. When they went down, he dived into the building and closed the doors. He found the lock and turned it. As soon as he did, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see a couple of people, and they weren't infected…yet. Jacob knew the male, who aimed a .44 revolver.

"Ronald!"

Ronald Hemmings lowered his weapon and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Jacob. You're alive."

"So are you. Who's your friend?"

He nodded to the woman. "My wife, Mary."

Mary nodded back. "Any news from the outside?"

Jacob shook his head. "All the lines are down. We're cut off."

Mary looked away, obviously not pleased with the news.

"Well then," Ronald said, "we'll just have to find a way out ourselves. I think there's an escape tunnel somewhere in the building."

Jacob nodded. "If I remember, the previous Mayor was a little…off. He always thought someone was out to get him. So he built a tunnel to sneak out and avoid the crowd."

"If it's still around," said Ronald, "we can use it to escape. Jacob, you and I will take the second floor. Mary, you take the first floor. We'll meet back here in twenty minutes."

Jacob nodded, and so did Mary.

"Okay. Let's do it."

They split up, and at that moment Jacob was wondering about Stan. Was he still alive?

_I said I'd be back for him. I'm not gonna break my promise…_

With that in mind, Jacob headed to the stairs with Ronald.

Stephanie was in the middle of her search and, other than the two zombies she had to shoot down in the flooded basement room, it was pretty uneventful.

The entire plant was perhaps the least affected area she'd been in all night, with only a few zombies to deal with. As she headed back to the room with the dirty water, her thoughts were of Uncle Albert yet again. She hadn't considered it before, but now that she'd seen those creatures for real, she was starting to believe what Barry told her: Uncle Albert was partly responsible for what happened in the Spencer estate.

_If so, then he's indirectly responsible for this mess, but he's been dead for two months. If not him, then who?_

That was a question for another day, if—_when_ she made it out alive. She headed to the elevator and pressed the Up button. She remembered that there were four zombies in the control room that she passed. She jacked a round into the Beretta and waited for the elevator to stop. The doors opened—

—and there were no zombies.

_What? I remember four being here…_

She shook her head. Given their state of decay, they could've already melted into piles of goo. She turned left and saw that the door past the elevator was cracked open. She edged toward the door, handgun ready. She opened the door, and nothing jumped out.

She stepped into a rather cool chamber. The temperature was mildly cold and there was no indication of change. She walked down the chamber and saw an open door to her right. She grabbed her flashlight and went inside.

_Whoa!_

The smell was immense and immediate. It was so strong, she almost felt like throwing up right there. She kept it together and started to sweep the dark room.

_Must be a dump for garbage…but where's the disposal?_

She noticed the jagged lines in the floor…and her stomach clenched. The entire room _was_ a disposal. She ran back to the door—

—but it was locked.

_No! Damn it!_

She continued to bang on the door, hoping that Jimmy was nearby—

—until the floor opened up. Stephanie screamed as she went down with the trash. She eventually landed in a large pool. Apparently, it was the same one she passed before. She spluttered foul-tasting water out of her mouth as she swam frantically to the nearest trash pile, resisting another urge to vomit.

She was totally soaked, her hair clinging to her skull, her fatigues dripping with water and slime. She ejected the wet clips and grenade from both of her weapons and reloaded with new ones.

_At least I'm not incinerated…_

She then stood up, wondering how she was going to get to the elevator without drowning in the putrid lake—

—and the biggest _thing_ she'd seen all night reared its ugly head and roared. It was a worm, but it was fifteen feet tall and slimy…and it had teeth.

_Uh-oh…_

She aimed the rifle, set it to full-auto, and fired. 5.56mm rounds hammered the worm's improbable body, dark blood gushing out of its wounds. The rifle clicked empty. Stephanie grabbed a fresh clip from her vest and reloaded.

The worm slammed into the ground under the water.

_Oh, shit. These trash piles won't stop it. I gotta get out of here!_

The worm appeared yet again. Stephanie aimed the rifle, knowing that all she could do was keep it at bay, but still didn't know if she could. She was down to her last rifle clip, and her 9mm would be useless.

_God, please let this be quick—_

"Steph!"

Stephanie looked up to see Jimmy lowering a rope ladder.

_Thank God!_

Stephanie reached for the ladder—

—but the worm emerged from underground again. She aimed her rifle and placed her finger on the grenade launcher's trigger. She fired, and the grenade exploded, the worm writhing in pain. It burrowed away, giving her a chance to climb the ladder to safety.

When she reached the top, she hugged Jimmy tightly. He returned the hug, obviously worried.

_He just saved my life. Again._

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But we gotta get out of here."

"Right."

They got up and headed to the front doors, ready to leave—

—but they were locked from the outside.

_Damn it!_

They had to find another way out.

Jimmy continued to pull the handle on the door, but to no avail. They were trapped.

"Well…now what?" Steph said.

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know. We'll just have to find another path. My radio's gone, and who knows if yours still works."

She nodded. "Then I guess we're on our own…"

As they walked back into the corridor, Steph stopped in her tracks.

"Wait a minute. I think I saw a ladder in the basement. Come on!"

She ran, Jimmy following her.

_Where's she going?_

They headed through a control room and into an elevator. As they went down, Steph was reloading the grenade launcher attachment on her assault rifle.

"Get ready…" she whispered as she unholstered her 9mm.

"Right," he replied.

"Did you find any ammo? I'm almost out."

Jimmy nodded and found the incendiary shells he took before, loading the shotgun with them. He also handed the two rifle magazines to Steph, nodding absently towards her. She smiled, but it faded as the elevator stopped.

The doors opened, and Steph signaled for a sweep. Jimmy nodded and drew the handgun. They stepped out, Steph on the right, Jimmy on the left. It was clear.

They headed past a room that was apparently used to dump garbage in, the room itself dominated by a huge pool of tainted water; it was the same room Steph was in. They went down some nearby stairs and went through another door.

The room was flooded, and Jimmy thought he could smell garbage in the room itself. He also noticed the two zombies in the water, shot in the head by Steph's handgun.

Steph pointed to a ladder on the wall. They climbed it, and ended up past a flimsy fence. They stepped forward…and saw a motorboat docked on the shore of the river.

_I can't believe it…_

"Let's use that boat," Jimmy said. Steph nodded.

They went down to the boat, checking its condition. It was fueled and ready to go, but the rope was securely bound with six ropes.

Steph fished out her knife and began to cut it.

Jimmy let out a deep breath, just starting to relax­—

—when a giant worm erupted from the water. It was that same goddamn worm!

"_Jimmy, look out!"_ Steph screamed.

Jimmy aimed the shotgun at the approaching beast.

"Just get those ropes cut!" he shouted, and opened fire.

The first shell ignited against the worm's flesh, not far from where Steph's grenade hit it. It was flaming all around the grenade wound, somehow increasing its agony. Jimmy smiled for a moment—

—before it burrowed into the ground. Jimmy cursed himself for not firing again.

He checked Steph's progress. She was done with the third rope and was working on the fourth.

_Not enough time—_

The worm emerged again. Jimmy pumped and fired again. He saw the damage inflicted, and didn't pause. He pumped and fired again, and again, and again, and again.

The worm was screaming. Then it fell to the ground, not moving. Jimmy drew his 9mm and cautiously stepped towards the overgrown annelid, pointing the weapon at it. It wasn't dead, but it was unconscious.

"Steph?"

"I'm done!"

She threw away the ropes, smiling. But Jimmy wasn't in the mood for congratulating her efforts.

"Let's get the hell out of here," he said, and meant it. Then, Steph's radio beeped.

"_Steph! Jimmy! Are you there?"_

There was a fair amount of static, but there was no mistaking the voice; it was Alex. Steph wasted no time and thumbed the receiver.

"Alex?"

"_Steph! Are you guys okay?"_

Steph grimaced. "Yeah, but…it's a long story. I'll tell you when we get back."

Jimmy could hear the thread of unease in Alex's voice.

"_I see. We ran into some trouble over here at the clock tower as well."_

"We?"

"_Yeah. I found Hawkins, but his team is dead. We're in the press office. Meet us there."_

Steph sighed. "Copy. On our way."

With that, they started the motor and went away, far from the treatment plant and back into the city. At that moment, Jimmy wondered if Miranda and Jacob were having better luck.


	8. Chapter 6: Searching For Shelter

Ronald Hemmings was starting to get anxious, if not a little nervous.

They'd spent fifteen minutes searching the building for the tunnel, but they couldn't find it. Another five and they would head back to the main hall and wait for Mary.

"Let's head back," Jacob said. "I have a very bad feeling about this."

Ronald nodded. As they headed back, he thought he heard something.

Jacob was concerned. "What is it?"

"I don't know."

Whatever it was, it was definitely creeping him out. Ronald headed down the main stairs, raising his revolver.

"Mary? Where are you?"

She was nowhere to be seen. Ronald was definitely scared.

_I shouldn't have let her go alone…_

Then, from all around them, they heard screeching. It sounded like wounded animals…or hungry ones.

"Let's go!" Jacob shouted. Ronald nodded and they sprinted away towards the first floor visitor's center, locking the doors behind them.

As they closed them, Ronald could see a glimpse of a lizard-like thing with green skin and talons.

"There's something out there…" he whispered. Jacob had his handgun and .38 out. He peered through the door cracks—

—and the creature rammed the doors. They held. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, they slowly lowered their weapons.

"Let's not go that way," Jacob said.

"Yeah."

They looked around the room, wondering if there was another way to find the escape tunnel—

—when Jacob found some sort of switch. He pushed it, and they felt a huge rumble.

_Is it an earthquake?_

No, not likely. They were in a mountain community, but the region was never a site for big earthquakes.

_It must be the tunnel…and it's coming from the main hall._

Those lizards were still out there. Ronald eased his hand on the lock and slowly turned it.

_Well, I guess we gotta go…_

They counted to three, and they stormed out, weapons drawn.

What Alex knew about Pavel Hawkins he could sum up in about ten seconds, but then again, it was all he needed.

_Is there any doubt? He's outlived his team, he's an excellent shot, and he's a rational thinker. Of course I can trust him._

Hawkins insisted that Alex called him by his first name; he pointed out that in order to survive, they needed flexibility. Alex was cool with that.

They'd done a good job working together on their way to the newspaper office. They cleared away some barricades, dodged more zombies, and plugged some other ones. The Russian soldier was very reliable on their short trek, covering Alex's back and Alex covering his. They were…well, "friends" wasn't the exact term. They were comrades, and they were partners.

All this time, Alex was becoming sick with pity. These zombies were people once, and what happened to them was unfair, no doubt about it, but it would also be a release for them once they were put down; they deserved to truly rest in peace.

_No matter how many bullets it takes, I'm willing to set them free…_

When they arrived at the office, Pavel slowed, reloading his MP5A5. He was hearing something for away.

"Stay alert," he whispered. Alex nodded as he put a fresh clip into his Beretta.

_He's good,_ he thought.

When it was silent again, Pavel eased the office's front doors open, slowly. Nothing jumped out. Alex sighed, adrenaline leaking out of his system; he'd been so wired and ready for a fight.

_I always am…_

They stepped inside—

—and something jumped at them from the side where they didn't check. Alex saw it, and in that instant, he felt several different emotions: fear, panic, nervousness…and recognition.

_It's that goddamn lizard._

It was. It was the same kind of monster they encountered only hours before at the construction site, when they'd been forced to separate. But, he also knew its name.

_Hunter._

Alex's eyes widened. How the hell did he know _that?_

The mix of feelings was there and gone in a second, and when the thing shrieked and jumped at them with its claws extended, Alex moved again. He aimed the .357, towards its ugly mug—

_Bam!_

—and it died spectacularly, its face _obliterated, _all before it landed. Alex lowered the Python, feeling a rush of relief. It was dead.

_We better secure this building until Steph and Jimmy get here. Obviously, there are more of them around._

He turned to Pavel as he unslung his grenade launcher. "You okay?"

He nodded, shakily but determined. They stepped past the dead Hunter and climbed up the stairs, carefully bypassing a few small fires. When they reached the top floor, they entered a small office. It was for the columnists and the editors, but now it was a mess, as if someone had thrown a stick of dynamite and dove for cover.

The door downstairs opened. Alex hesitated. For all he knew, it could be Steph and Jimmy…

…_or it could be that crazy woman._

Alex shuddered, hoping to God that he'd never face her again, because last time, he barely survived.

Footsteps, getting louder. Alex and Pavel raised their weapons, ready to blast the living shit out of her—

—when Stephanie Wesker and Jimmy Frost barged in, her rifle and his shotgun pointed at them. All four of them lowered their guns.

"Alex!" Steph shouted. She gave him a big hug, as if they'd been apart for years.

_It sure _feels_ like years…_

They broke off the hug and they both straightened themselves.

"Oh, Major." Steph saluted.

Pavel just smiled. "Steph, let's just disregard rank."

Steph grinned and lowered her stance.

"So…how was the plant?" Alex asked.

Jimmy looked uneasy. "Let's just say we're not gonna be charting a boat out of here anytime soon."

Pavel nodded. "The clock tower is also out. The first helicopter's gone, and we couldn't find the gears for the main system—"

They were cut off by the sound of an approaching 'copter. They ran outside and saw a transport fly by.

They all shouted, Pavel using signal flares, but it didn't see them.

"Damn it!" Steph shouted. Alex grimly nodded. Then, they heard bells.

_The clock tower!_

"Let's get to the roof!" he yelled. They ran up the fire escape and got to the roof. He took Pavel's binoculars and looked in the general direction of the tower. He could make out a male and female, probably the couple Pavel told him about a while ago—

—and something else, a big guy, clothed in black, carrying a rocket launcher. He growled, and Alex could actually hear it.

_That's a monster…_

It was. Its skin was a light brown and it looked like leather. Its lower jaw was ripped away, showing its teeth. And again, he just happened to know what this monster was.

_Nemesis._

Now Alex was freaking out inside. But what the Nemesis did next scared him even more.

He fired the bazooka, the missile flying—

—and it hit the helicopter. It exploded in a ball of flaming metal.

"Shit…" he hissed.

Steph was worried. "What?"

Alex lowered the binoculars, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.

"Some freak just blew up the helicopter…and now we're stranded."

They were all in shock. Alex tried to think of anything to change the subject, but he ultimately failed.

They were trapped in Raccoon City, and with the Hunters and the Nemesis and that woman out there, they were in danger every step of the way.

The doors burst open, and Jacob and Ronald stormed out. They were surrounded by lizard-things, three from the left and two from the right. Their destination was a staircase going down.

_It must be the tunnel…_

They ran, dodging the monsters and their talons, and scrambled down the stairs. As they reached the bottom, they turned around and pointed their weapons upwards. They backed away, hoping to get as far as they can. Ronald fired the revolver repeatedly, taking out three of them, but his gun clicked empty, just as two of them hopped down.

"Jacob! Cover me! I'm down to my last speed-loader!"

Jacob went ahead of him, raising the 9mm and revolver. He fired, aiming for their faces. Seven shots splashed into the left one and it fell face down into the ground. The second leaped into the air, dodging Jacob's line of fire.

It lashed out, claws extended—

—and it was blasted away, just as Jacob clicked on empty. Ronald had managed to reload before it got him.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

Jacob nodded and they ran down the tunnel, which was made of concrete. It was also very cold, and they thought they could hear dripping noises. They eventually made their way towards an intersection, and two doors. After a quick debate, they chose the left first.

They stepped into a storeroom of sorts. It was stocked with nonperishable goods and stuff. Apparently, it was also supposed to double as a fallout shelter—

—but it was the crate at the back of the room that caught Jacob's eye. They ran for it, opened it—

—and laughed. They couldn't believe their luck.

There were three clips for his handgun, two boxes of .44 rounds for Ronald's Magnum…and a sawed-off pump-action shotgun with a flashlight taped under the barrel, fully loaded with seven shells. Guns weren't his strong suit, but he recognized the make: a Mossberg 500 Cruiser. There were two boxes of extra shells as well.

They loaded up and exchanged weapons, Jacob taking the shotgun and Ronald taking his handgun. They split the ammo properly.

When they were ready to go, they left the room—

—and it became completely dark. Jacob turned on the high-powered light on his new weapon and started forward, leading the way.

They headed to the door opposite the supply room and opened it, feeling relieved that the lights were still on inside. They went in and closed the door, taking in their new surroundings.

It was an underground parking lot, not that dissimilar from the garage beneath the police station. Jacob wondered if Alex, Miranda, and the others were doing okay as well.

_They probably are. I mean, we've lasted this long, right?_

True. But something unexpected could happen, and in the case of Raccoon City, it seemed to happen all the time.

They laid their eyes on a Corvette, and the keys were still in the ignition.

"We should wait for Mary," Ronald said.

Jacob nodded, thinking the same thing.

_In fact, where the hell _is_ Mary?_

Just as he thought it, there she was, ten feet away…with a hole in her right ankle. Her blue dress was caked in blood and slime, not to mention her entire body, her eyes white.

"No…" Ronald said.

She was infected. She was a zombie…and she was coming.

"Shoot her, Ronald." Jacob asked.

He didn't.

"Ronald!"

Still, he didn't.

The thing that was Mary Hemmings was approaching, and Ronald didn't even raise his gun. Jacob could see in his eyes that he couldn't—_wouldn't_ shoot her.

"Ronald," Jacob said, "she's not human anymore. You can't save her."

"Unnnh…" Mary groaned.

"Ronald. You have to."

Ronald didn't move. He couldn't move at all…for a moment. Then, he raised the Magnum.

"Rest in peace, Mary," he whispered, and fired, the shot blowing away half of her face. Ronald looked away almost immediately.

"Ronald…" Jacob began, but he knew that Ronald was sad, that he needed time to grieve—

—but they didn't have the time. Already, they could hear more of those lizards catching up with them.

"Let's go," Ronald said. His tone was firm, and his gaze unwavering. Jacob nodded, and they got in the car.

"I'll drive," Jacob said.

With that, he started the car and they peeled out of the lot, leaving Mary's dead corpse behind.

Miranda woke up, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

_What time is it?_

She checked her watch, and it was 2:00 AM. She barely got six hours of sleep.

_It's not much, but at least I got _some_ rest._

She stretched her arms and checked her ammo: four clips for her Beretta, three clips for her Browning, eleven shotgun shells, and twenty-one .50AE bullets. As she loaded and holstered her weapons and went downstairs, she shone the flashlight around the house. No one else was here.

Miranda headed to the kitchen, hoping that she found some food; she was starving. The cupboards yielded two boxes of crackers and a cup of tapioca pudding. Inside the fridge, there was a half-empty bottle of soda. Everything else was either stale or rotten.

_Not exactly a steak dinner, but I'll take what I can get._

She ate and drank, absolutely famished. When she finished, she looked outside and saw that there was a car parked in the driveway; she'd never noticed that before.

Miranda headed outside, her 9mm aimed ahead of her. The car was a Taurus, painted red. The keys were still in the ignition, and the door was unlocked.

She went in the car and started it—

—and the last thing she expected to see was a young blonde woman in front of the car, her eyes wide. Miranda almost shot her when she realized that she wasn't a zombie.

"Stop! That's mine!"

Miranda lowered her weapon. "I'm sorry. I thought no one was around, so…"

She trailed off. The woman nodded her head.

"This is my house. I—were you just in there?"

Miranda lowered her gaze. "Yeah. I was tired."

"It's all right."

"What's your name?"

The woman blinked. "Amy Calvin."

Miranda smiled as she holstered her 9mm. "Miranda Irons. Hop in."

The woman hesitated, then went in the passenger side. Miranda was getting ready to back up—

—but the car wouldn't move. Miranda stepped out of the car, looked underneath—

—and cursed under her breath. The fuel line was cut.

"We're not going anywhere…" she muttered.

Amy nodded and got out of the car. Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"You know how to use a gun?"

Amy shook her head. "No…"

"Don't worry. I'll show you how later. Take this for now."

Miranda gave her Jerry's Browning and ammo clips.

Amy smiled. "Thanks…"

Then they heard something coming. Whatever it was, it was fast. Miranda raised the handgun, wondering what it was—

—and Jacob Williams arrived in a Corvette. Someone else was with him.

"Miranda!"

She smiled. "Jacob. Are you all right?"

"Yeah…where's your van?"

Miranda shook her head. "It's totaled. I ran into some of those monsters along the way."

"Uh-huh…whoa, what's with the new wardrobe?" Jacob asked.

She blushed. She was still getting used to her red shirt and black shorts. "Uh…my uniform got shredded, so I changed."

"Right…"

The male spoke up. "Are you a cop or something?"

"Well…I used to," she spoke truthfully. "I'm Miranda Irons, formerly of the RPD."

"Name's Ronald Hemmings. Get in."

"Thanks."

They got into the back seat and they drove off. Ronald leaned back to talk to them.

"Who's she?"

Miranda nodded to Amy. "She's Amy Calvin, a civilian. We just met at that house."

Amy frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Back into town," Jacob replied. "Alex—he's a friend—radioed me from the newspaper office. He's with a U.B.C.S. soldier…and two of my other friends Steph and Jimmy are there too. As soon as we're back together, we'll head to the airport and fly the friendly skies."

Amy sighed, not with relief, but with disappointment. "No. The airport's inaccessible. I tried already, but the bridge is out."

_If she's right…and if everyone else failed, then we're screwed. We'll have to find shelter…_

Miranda nodded her head. "Jacob, head to the high school."

"Huh?"

"We need to find shelter and rest, to plan our next move. We'll radio Alex and the others, and tell them to meet us there."

Jacob frowned, then nodded. "Okay. By the way, while we were driving, I found these."

He handed Miranda a stack of files, all stamped with the Umbrella logo.

"What is it?"

Jacob was angry. "It's information about some kind of virus. Whoever owned this car was an Umbrella scientist, so he kept notes about what happened."

Miranda nodded. She opened the first file folder—

—and felt her heart clench. It was a photo of Main Street…full of zombies and dead cops.

"Flip it over."

She did…and "September 27th" was written on it.

"Oh, God…" She started to cry, unable to hold back the tears.

_I was right. The police are dead. They're all dead…_

"Check the rest of them," he said calmly.

She sniffed and checked the typed paper that was in it. She gasped.

"An _accident?_"

"Yeah," Ronald said grimly. "Apparently, Umbrella sent a retrieval team in to steal an unfinished virus from their top scientist. My guess is that they wanted instant results, and couldn't afford to wait. Then they made the fatal mistake of shooting him. They took the samples, but he still had one in his hand. Apparently, he injected himself with his new virus, and became a monster."

Miranda looked at another photo, and gasped again.

"I've seen him before. Brown hair, mutated arm, giant eye for a shoulder…that's him!"

"Yep," Ronald said. "That used to be Doctor William Birkin, head of virology for White Umbrella, the corporation's bio-weapon research division."

"So…what happened after that?" Miranda asked.

Jacob continued the story. "The team was killed by Birkin, and another virus leaked. This one is responsible for turning Raccoon into a deathtrap. They called it the T-Virus."

"I knew it…" Miranda hissed. "I suspected that Umbrella was up to something."

Ronald nodded. "Yes. And if we don't get out of here, we're gonna be joining those zombies…and those creatures."

She flipped to the next file and saw photos and written names regarding each one. They were various monsters.

"MA-34 Cerberus, FI-3 Neptune, MA-121 Hunter, MA-2 Chimera, RE-3 Licker…"

Amy saw the photos and sighed. "Jesus…"

Miranda put the files away, disgusted with them. "Let's just get to the school. We can show the others this info once we get there."

They all agreed and drove on. Miranda grabbed her radio.

"Alex, are you there?"

There was a short pause. _"Go ahead."_

"We're heading to the high school. Can you meet us there?"

"_Okay. We'll be there soon."_

Miranda clicked off her radio and clipped it to her belt, hoping that they'd be able to figure out a means of escape, because it was becoming less and less likely by the minute.

The high school was empty and there was no sign of life.

_Just like everywhere else,_ Amy thought.

Two hours after she and Miranda bumped into Jacob and Ronald, Alex, Stephanie, Jimmy, and Pavel were waiting for them at the school. They all had their weapons out, trying to be ready for anything.

_I have to be ready, too…_

Amy grabbed her gun and chambered a round, just as Miranda told her. Even though the gun gave her a sense of relief, she was still scared. She had never experienced an event like this one all her life. She was only seventeen, a freshman, and she was now caught up in this mess.

At that moment, she was worried about her dad and little sister, still in the museum. Last time she heard from them, they were locked inside. But the museum was also one of the few safe havens in the whole city.

_I hope they're still okay…_

She got out of the car and walked next to Miranda. She smiled at her, and Amy was pleased to see her smile back. But when they reached the front doors, all traces of happiness were wiped away from everyone. The doors weren't locked.

"No time like the present…" Alex muttered.

Amy didn't know any of the others long enough to make a conclusion, but she knew that Alex was sincere. He was a fighter, and he showed compassion. Considering what they were in, it was the perfect opportunity to express that.

"I'll cover you," Amy whispered. Alex nodded, and opened the doors.

The main hallway was cold and dimly lit. Stephanie fumbled for the light while Ronald and Jimmy swept the sides of the corridor. Amy sure felt relieved that she was with a group of strong people, in mind and in body.

"Here we go." Stephanie flipped a switch—

—and the hall was brightened. Immediately, Alex pulled out his revolver and pointed it ahead of him, checking the lockers lining the walls.

"Nada."

They all walked forward, sweeping all around each other—

—and from where the hall went into four directions, zombies were coming.

"They're everywhere!" Pavel groaned. He aimed his machine gun and fired, taking out three of them.

"Here they come!" Ronald shouted, bringing up his pistol.

Amy saw Alex and Miranda grab their handguns, Jimmy and Jacob grabbed their shotguns, and Stephanie raised her rifle.

All at once, the survivors opened up. Alex, Miranda, and herself took the north side, Ronald, Pavel, and Jimmy to the east, and Stephanie and Jacob to the west. Their weapons all went off at the same time.

Dozens of zombies went down, but they just kept coming.

"_Fire in the hole!"_ Alex shouted, and he one-armed his grenade gun. He fired into the closest cluster of zombies, and they blew to pieces on impact. He broke open the weapon and struggled to reload. Stephanie and Pavel covered him as he switched back to his 9mm. Amy felt blood spatter on her face and immediately wiped the stuff against her pants, praying that she wouldn't get infected, that she wouldn't become a zombie—

—and just when they thought it wouldn't end, it did, the entire area now thick with the smell of decay and quiet due to their empty weapons. Amy lowered her gun and looked around towards the others. They were all silent, except for their heavy breathing. The smell was starting to get to them.

"I think I'm gonna puke…" Jimmy croaked.

Amy nodded. They all ran into a nearby classroom and closed the door. They opened the windows so that they could breathe easier. The air still had a faint scent of rot, but it was a lot better than before. They all paused to reload their weapons.

"Anybody know where the ventilation system is?" Miranda asked as she reloaded her handgun.

Stephanie nodded. "I do. Alex, wanna give me a hand?"

"Sure."

They left the room, the ghastly smell lingering for a moment, and then it was gone.

"So…what happened?" Miranda asked.

Ronald went first. "Jacob and I were in City Hall, but we managed to find an escape tunnel. However, there's no clear way out of the city through there."

Pavel was next. "When Alex got to the clock tower, we searched the building for a way to ring the bells. We did, but then my team got killed by a woman."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "A woman?"

"Yeah. But she's a monster. Alex and I barely got away. Then he saw that another monster—one more believable—blew up the second chopper with a bazooka. So a chopper ride is no good."

Then, Jimmy gave his story. "Steph and I went to the treatment plant, but we got attacked by a giant worm after we were locked inside. We found a boat and got away, but that worm's still out there."

Amy stood up. "I was gonna go to the airport, but the bridge is gone. It was the only road leading there."

Miranda looked despondent. "So…that's it? There's no other way?"

Everyone was silent. Then Alex and Stephanie returned, saying that the vents were working.

"Okay, everyone, let's secure this school. Once we do that, we can finally get some shut-eye."

Everyone nodded, and so did Amy. They left the classroom, and at that moment she wondered if they were _ever_ going to find a way out.


	9. Chapter 7: Final Sanctuary

Walking down the hallway that supported the chemistry labs, Stephanie felt more nervous than she ever had before.

_Of course I'm nervous. We're stranded in the city, we're running low on ammo, and cannibalistic monsters stalk us. It can't _possibly_ get any worse…_

She shuddered, thinking about those files that Miranda showed her and the others. Whatever doubts she had before, they were gone now, because it was definite proof of Umbrella's involvement.

She skirted another hall, gripping her Beretta in her trembling right hand, her flashlight in her left. It appeared safe…

…_but so did the plant,_ she thought sourly. The vile memory made her break into a cold sweat, the mere thought putting her into a near-immediate state of panic. She managed to swallow her fear as she opened the door into her literature classroom. It was clear.

_Whew…_

She lowered the 9mm, simultaneously relieved and depressed by the stillness of the room and the bodies of her fellow classmates. Her classroom friends, all of them, were dead.

_There's nothing I can do about it now, except get out of the city and expose Umbrella for the bastards that they are!_

She sighed, knowing that she had to search the rest of the building. There was no time for grieving now, but she would try to find time later…

…_assuming there _is_ a later._

She closed the door, ready to leave—

—when she froze, seeing the form in front of her. Pieces of information were being fed to her brain, bit by bit.

_Blonde hair…black clothes…claws…_

The woman was walking past the building. Stephanie stood still, being careful not to make any sudden moves.

_Please don't see me, please don't see me…_

After a long while, the woman left. Stephanie was finally able to breathe again. She slowly reached for her radio.

"Miranda?"

"_Yeah, Steph?"_

She gulped. "That woman's outside the school."

"_W-what?"_

"Yeah. We need to barricade this building immediately."

"_I agree. I'll tell the others."_

Stephanie clipped her radio to her belt and went back the way she came, completely freaked.

_If that woman had seen me, I'd be dead already—_

Stephanie froze again, all thoughts about the woman blown away by what was above her.

It appeared to be human, once, but now it was definitely a monster. It was naked, its appearance making it look like a skinned lizard. Its skin was blood-red, and its brain was exposed. However, it also had a long tongue that easily touched the floor not ten feet below it.

Stephanie recognized it from the files, and also from Urkburrow; she'd killed several of them before.

_It's a Licker…_

The Licker roared, and jumped from the ceiling. Its tongue flailed about in front of her.

_It's blind, but its sense of sound is heightened…_

Steph let out a mild scream, and the Licker heard it. The creature jumped again—

—but was brought down quickly, its brain blown apart. Stephanie then turned around to see Alex walking next to her with his .357 drawn.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Uh, this corridor's pretty much secured, I guess."

Alex smiled. "Everyone else is finished, too. Come on, let's go."

Stephanie followed Alex back to the main hall, vaguely wondering if that woman would be back. Considering what Alex told her, she hoped to God she didn't.

Everyone was dead tired, so Jimmy voted for a nice, long rest. Of course, no one objected, so they grabbed whatever they could find for sleeping and went to different classrooms. That way, they could all have their privacy.

He and Steph were the only two without a room. As he went to his, Steph touched his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I bunk up with you tonight?"

Jimmy was surprised, not sure what to say. He always had problems with women, and it was showing right now.

He managed to find his voice. "Y-Yeah…sure."

"Are you alright, Jimmy?" she asked, her tone gentle.

At that moment, Jimmy Frost felt younger than he ever did. Stephanie's tone of voice was bringing back memories of his parents, just before their separation, and it was all five years ago. It was almost like her mother's voice.

"Yeah."

_Oh, Mom…_

Three weeks ago, his dad said that his mother fell down her stairs and injured her neck. There were also reports of brain damage. She was being put into intensive care.

The mere thought of losing her made him almost cry right there.

_I should've been there to help her…_

"Jimmy?" Steph asked, that same gentle tone in her voice. "Are you sure you're okay?"

This time, Jimmy shook his head. "I was just thinking about my mother. She…she fell down her stairs three weeks ago. She hurt her neck and there was also brain damage. She's in intensive care, and she's always in and out of consciousness, but I don't know if she'll pull through in the end."

Steph sighed. "I know what it's like…to feel the pain that losing a mother would cause."

It was Jimmy's turn to touch her shoulder. "I'm gonna make it out, not just for myself, but for my mom. I'll see her once I get out."

"I'll come with you," Steph said. "I've got nowhere else to go."

Jimmy nodded. "Deal."

They both stared at each other's eyes for a long time…and for the first time since the outbreak, something clicked between them. He knew it like he knew his own name. They went into the room and closed the door.

_I love her. And so does she…_

Nothing else mattered. What did matter was that they were together, and they were going to survive, and now, it would also be for each other…because he loved her.

For some reason, Jacob couldn't sleep. He had too much on his mind.

_Why? Why did Umbrella not help us out? Why did they let this catastrophe happen!_

Then, it hit him.

_Umbrella knew about this, but they wanted to keep this secret. But I can't let them get away with it!_

He had to figure out who could be a material witness to this disaster. It had to be someone who knew all about virology—

_Wait a minute…Stan should know something—_

_Oh, shit!_

Jacob almost forgot about Urban back at the hospital. He got out of his bed and broke into a sprint towards the door.

_I should've went back sooner…_

He hopped inside the Corvette and sped away. He managed to dodge several zombies on the way. The roads were also surprisingly clear.

_Stan…I hope you're okay…_

About ten minutes later, he arrived at the hospital, which was completely clear of zombies. He jumped out and ran to the fire escape ladder that he used before, his revolver drawn.

When he got inside the office, there was no one in sight. The only thing different was the blood all over the place. The blood pack cooler was open and empty as well.

He walked out of the room—

—and saw Urban and his wife on the floor, dead.

_Oh, no…_

Jacob fell to his knees as he examined the bodies. There were numerous bite marks all over them, and they also looked pale and shriveled.

_They've been drained of their blood, but by what?_

A wet sound, behind him. Jacob turned his head—

—and shouted, staring at the things crawling toward him.

_What the hell?_

Leeches, and _big_ ones too. He got off the floor and aimed the revolver. He managed to pick off four them before his weapon clicked empty. He then ran back into the office and went down the ladder. As he got back to the car, he reloaded his gun, completely freaked.

_I was too late…_

He started the engine and headed back to the school.

_God! Those things were huge!_

He was so shocked at the things that killed Stan and his wife that he almost didn't see the monster until it was too late.

He slammed on the brakes and was staring at it. It was leaping out of the storm drain, the grate crumpled from its exit, and then diving into the street as if it were nothing more than water.

_Oh, my—_

It appeared yet again. Jacob grabbed his shotgun and fired. The shot went wide as the creature dived into the pavement again.

_Uh-uh. I'm outta here!_

He got back in the car and drove away as fast as he could.

Miranda woke up to see Jacob walking back to his room. He looked pale and almost ready to throw up.

_What's wrong with him?_

She knocked on his door.

"Jacob? Are you okay?"

A pause, and then he opened the door.

"Oh, Miranda. I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

He began to close the door, but Miranda held it open.

"Jacob, something happened to you. I can see it in your eyes. Don't hide it."

Jacob sighed. "I tried to find Dr. Urban. I…I was too late…"

"Urban? I was trying to find him too a few days ago while my—"

Miranda trailed off. She pretty much assumed that he had the idea about what happened to her.

"So…I guess we just rest, I guess."

She nodded. After all, they all needed to regain their strength. The whole week had finally taken its toll on everybody.

"Well, good night, Jacob."

"Good night, Miranda."

Jacob closed his door and locked it. Miranda walked back to her room as well.

_I hope he'll be all right…_

She went in her room and went to sleep.

Ronald was dreaming about Mary when he woke up, his eyes wide.

_Mary…_

He slowly pushed himself up. He pulled a photo out of his suit vest. It was the two of them at Disneyland, two months before they got married.

_Mary, you were so happy then…_

He remembered the time when they climbed Magic Mountain together. They demanded that they'd climb it without ropes. So they did just that. When they almost reached the top, she'd lost her grip and almost fell to her death. Thankfully, Ronald had caught her before it was too late. It was afterwards that he'd proposed to her. She had immediately agreed to his request.

Two months later, they had gotten married. They had shared ten wonderful years of marriage together and they had a single daughter to call their own. By now, she would be eight years old.

_Cheryl…I hope you're okay._

Last time he heard, Cheryl was still doing well in Latham, keeping her grades up and being well behaved. However, someone had picked a fight with her, and she ended up with a black eye and a few scrapes. It could've been a hell of a lot worse.

Ronald's eyes became even wider. The school Cheryl was attending was founded by Umbrella, and it was Umbrella who got him his job as a bodyguard for the mayor.

_That means if they find out how much I know about them, they'll kill her…and anyone else who's with her. I can't let them; she's all I got left._

Ronald nodded grimly to himself. If he ever got out of the city, and insured that Cheryl was safe, Umbrella would be going down, hard.

She woke up, again.

The survivors were resting in a large building: a school, according to her memories. Now, all she needed to do was isolate her target from the group, then kill the target.

It was what she was born to do.

As she walked past a police station, something was moving behind her. She turned around to see a human still alive, wearing a vest and shorts, armed with a handgun. The woman was going into the station's back entrance. As she ran, several of the carriers were in pursuit. But the woman was too quick for them.

The gates closed and the carriers were incapable of opening them. With that, she just continued on her way.

Pavel was starting to get tired from doing night watch for the past two hours.

Unable to stand for one more second, he started to walk back inside when he heard something, a soft, beeping sound.

_What is that?_

Quietly, Pavel walked towards the source. It was coming from inside the building. He turned left to see one of the computer rooms with the door open.

He stepped inside—

—and saw Alex on one of the terminals, completely absorbed in what he was reading.

"What's wrong?" Alex said.

Pavel was stunned.

_How did he know I was here?_

"Nothin'. What are you looking at?"

Alex motioned for Pavel to come closer. It appeared to be web documents about obituaries. He also had a second link containing reports from local hospitals.

"I've been looking at autopsy reports regarding those missing hikers in the mountains. If we can come up with an exact timeline, we can present investigators with a more believable package of evidence. But we still need physical proof of what happened here."

Pavel blinked. "What do you mean?"

Alex sighed. "We need an unused sample of the virus. If we can get that, we can nail Umbrella completely."

If there was a chance of Pavel thinking Alex was crazy of suggesting it, he didn't see it. Instead, it was the best idea they had.

"Well…where do we look?"

"That's what I can't figure out. I mean, it's not while we're gonna find it at your run-of-the-mill pharmacy."

Pavel knew exactly what Alex was going with this, and he didn't like it one bit.

"We're going to a lab, aren't we?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. We don't really have a choice, and Amy did tell me a little while ago that her dad had a small lab in the museum. It's worth checking out."

He got up from his seat and printed off the reports, a grim look on his face.

"But we don't really know if he's still alive. The only thing we can do is rest up for now."

"Agreed," Pavel said.

They left the lab and headed to their rooms.

Alex walked down the corridor leading to the garage, his revolver drawn.

_I wonder…_

He opened the door, and there were two buses parked. He checked both of them, and they were fueled and had an oil change just recently.

_Huh?_

He heard a noise from behind the second bus. He looked past it to see Jimmy underneath, his tool kit set next to him.

"Jimmy?" he asked.

He stopped working and lifted himself out.

"Alex. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Alex shook his head as he holstered his weapon. "I couldn't. I keep having dreams, but they feel so real."

"Really? Anyway, I think we can use these buses to get outta here. All we gotta do is reinforce them and then take out any zombies that climb aboard."

Alex crossed his arms. "And what about the monsters?"

"Well…I'm sure we can take care of them."

"Right…"

Jimmy frowned, then went back to work. "It's gonna take me a while to get these things ready to go."

"Got it. Well, good luck, Jimmy."

Jimmy nodded. "Thanks."

As Alex left the garage, he was thinking about those dreams again.

_What do they mean?_

He tried to think back about his most recent one:

_It was raining, and he was alone on the road. His knapsack was starting to feel heavy on his shoulders and he knelt down to catch his breath. It was also cold, really cold._

_Then, someone was walking up to him. It was a woman, barely in her teens. Her hair was blonde and she had this creepy look on her face._

"_What do you want?" he had asked._

_The girl was just smiling, and then she grabbed him by his shirt collar. She was actually lifting him up without any effort._

"_I want you…to die!"_

_She threw him in front of a moving car. He thought he was dead, but for some reason, he wasn't. He was just mildly bruised._

"_No!" she had screamed. With that, she vanished._

_He was just confused about what was happening that he almost didn't notice the driver exit the car. She was in her early thirties._

"_Are you okay?"_

_He nodded. "Yeah…"_

_The woman smiled. "My name's Amanda, and I'm the one who saved you, Alex."_

Alex opened his eyes, and they widened.

_Amanda…I remember her. She got me out of that lab, the one where my parents were murdered. She was too late in stopping the experiment on me, but she still saved my life. That was all…thirteen years ago, and after that, I was put in the orphanage._

Now he knew why Miranda was so familiar. It was because they were friends back then, long before now.

_When we were fifteen, her uncle adopted her, and when I turned seventeen, I left the orphanage and then I ran into Amanda again. She was with me for the past four years, teaching me everything she knew: about the experiments with the parasitic organisms, the scientist who did them, and the subjects themselves…the Symbionts. I'm one of them now, and I believe Miranda is, too. It explains why I also know what I know about Umbrella's creatures._

Alex walked back to his room, his memory now fully restored and his determination stronger.

Miranda opened her eyes to a knock on her door. At that moment, Alex walked in with a smile on his face.

"Morning, cop. Did you sleep well?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What time is it?"

"October 2nd, 1:30 AM. Come on, Jimmy's got a surprise for us."

Miranda yawned and got to her feet. She followed Alex to the garage. When they got there, Miranda's eyes went wide, all traces of exhaustion erased.

"Whoa…"

They used to be school buses, but they were completely armored and the seats were all gone, save for the drivers' chairs. She saw Jimmy hop out of one of them.

"All aboard!"

With that, Alex, Amy, Ronald, and Stephanie went in the second bus, while Miranda and the others took the first.

"Alex, do you copy?" Miranda said over her radio.

"_Loud and clear, Miranda. Let's bust out of town!"_

The garage doors opened, and there were zombies all around them.

"_Holy crap! There's so damn many of them!"_ Amy gasped.

"There's no way we can take 'em all out," Pavel grimly stated.

"Then let's just punch through," Jimmy said. "It's time to do or die!"

"I hear ya, Jimmy," Jacob smiled. "Let's kick some ass!"

The two makeshift arks peeled out. Around them, zombies moaned, frustrated by their inability to get their prey. Suddenly, their bus rocked to one side.

_What?_

Miranda looked to her left and saw three of them clinging to the wall with skeletal hands. She grabbed her 9mm and fired, sending three shots into the first carrier's brain. Jimmy grabbed his Browning and emptied the clip, taking out the other two. She noticed four Lickers aboard the other bus behind them.

"Ronald! Four Lickers above you!"

"_I've got it!"_ Stephanie shouted.

She heard two rifle bursts and a grenade blast over the radio. Pavel looked past the wire mesh and saw the burnt remains of the creatures.

"Hold on!" Jacob shouted from the driver's seat. Miranda, Pavel, and Jimmy looked ahead to see a roadblock in their way.

"Everybody, hang on!" she shouted into the radio.

Jacob managed to break through the barrier, but then the bus was tipping from side to side.

"I can't hold it!" he screamed, and the bus fell to its side. Seconds later, the second bus followed suit. The last thing Miranda saw before they crashed was the silhouette of a building.

Ronald's head was hurting. He slowly opened his eyes and saw he was upside down. He unbuckled his seat belt and fell on his head.

_Ouch!_

He shook his already injured head and stood up on the steering wheel. He noticed that Alex and Stephanie were both unconscious, and Amy was nowhere to be seen.

"Alex? Steph?" he asked.

At the sound of his voice, they woke up with similar headaches.

"Ron? What happened?" Steph groaned.

"I don't know. Let me check." He grabbed his radio and clicked the button.

"Miranda, Jacob, come in."

Silence. He waited a couple of minutes and tried again. There was still silence.

Alex was pale. "We gotta find them!"

Ronald nodded. "Right. Let's load up and get out."

They all managed to get up and looked around for their equipment. After finding it, they counted out the numbers: Alex had four clips worth for his Beretta, twenty-two .357 bullets, and four grenade shells. Stephanie still had three clips for her 9mm, fifty-four rifle rounds, and three grenades. Ronald was down to sixteen rounds for his revolver and thirty-six rounds for the VP70.

One by one, they climbed out of the bus and spotted the second instantly. They ran and banged on the door.

"Miranda!" Alex shouted.

A pause, and then a faint reply.

"In here…"

They tore the door open and saw Miranda nursing a dislocated ankle. She gritted her teeth as she moved it back into place. Except for her, there was no one else moving.

"Where are the others?" Steph asked.

Miranda looked to her left with a tear on her face. They looked in the same direction and saw Jacob in the driver's seat, his neck twisted.

Steph gasped. "Jacob!"

She went inside, and felt for a pulse. There was none.

"He's dead…" her voice quivered.

Alex ran out of the bus, shouting. "Why! Are we not all supposed to get out of here alive!"

They heard a noise from behind them. Alex raised his Magnum, ready to fire—

—when Jimmy emerged from a pile of debris. He sighed with relief.

"Steph! Ron! Miranda! It's Jimmy! He's still alive!"

They all got out and went to help him. Two of Jimmy's ribs were bruised and his left arm was broken. The left side of his face even had a scar. Other than that, he was okay. They quickly tended to his injuries. They also noticed Pavel's unmoving corpse.

"What happened?" Steph asked.

"Pavel and I were thrown out of the bus when we crashed," Jimmy explained as he took off his torn vest, dumping the shotgun shells into his pouch. "He died almost instantly."

He pulled out Pavel's weapons and ammo and gave them to Stephanie.

"Where's Jacob and Amy?"

Alex's head lowered. "Jacob's dead. I don't know where Amy is."

Just as he said it, Amy showed up behind them all, next to the building where they crashed.

"Well, we made it," she said, in an almost casual tune.

Ronald was furious. "What are you so calm about! Two of our team are dead, and you just happen to show up when we all thought you died too!"

Amy frowned. "Well, sorry you feel that way. By the way, haven't you noticed where we are?"

She pointed to a sign. It read: Raccoon Museum of Arts and Sciences.

They were all dumbfounded. They crashed, and yet they made it to where they had to go.

They all still had their weapons and ammunition. They headed up the stairs, but then Ronald went and grabbed Jacob's shotgun and ammo as well as his backpack. He then closed his glazed, unseeing eyes.

"We made it, man," he whispered. "Thanks…"

He held the pack and shotgun over his shoulder and rejoined the others, Ronald silently praying that they were better off inside than out.


	10. Chapter 8: Escaping Raccoon

The doors opened fairly easily as Stephanie scanned the environment.

_All clear…_

She lowered the assault rifle and motioned the others to enter. One by one, they walked inside, taking in the tranquillity of their surroundings.

The lobby was vast and lined with ornate pillars and tall statues. On one side, they saw a diorama of Raccoon's origins. On another, they saw a genetics exhibit. The receptionist's desk was stained with dried blood, the poor woman herself missing a head.

_I've got a bad feeling about this._

As they continued, they spotted a young girl. Frightened by them, she ran.

"Melissa, wait!" Amy shouted. She ran off after her.

"Amy—" Miranda started, but Alex cut her off.

"Let her be. She's found her sister."

They all nodded and continued on. They noticed two large halls parallel to their position.

"Alex, you and Miranda check the east wing. Ronald, Jimmy, and I will take the west. If you find anything, contact us."

Alex nodded as he took Pavel's MP5A5. "You got it."

As Alex and Miranda headed off, Stephanie took point in front of Ronald and Jimmy. They noticed three zombies in front of them.

_Guess the museum's not safe, after all…_

She pulled Pavel's .45 and opened fire.

Jimmy was beginning to grow anxious from the lack of life in the hall.

He always imagined that this place would be a good sanctuary, with its high-tech security locks and stuff. But apparently not even the best security system could stop a viral outbreak like the one in Raccoon City.

_The sooner we find Amy's family, the sooner we can get the hell out…_

"Over here!" Steph shouted. Jimmy and Ronald caught up with her and saw what she saw: an open door, and sounds coming from the room.

Steph signaled for a sweep. Jimmy got into position, Ronald behind him, their shotguns ready. Gripping the .45, Steph led the way. They stormed in—

—and lowered their weapons. The room was a chemistry lab, and it was relatively clean, making this lab the closest thing to sane he'd seen in the whole town.

A middle-aged man entered the room. He had gray hair, a white lab coat, and thin-rimmed glasses. He looked in their direction and smiled.

"Oh. You're not infected, are you?"

Ronald blinked. "No, we're not. If anything, we're still human."

"Good," the man replied. "I was hoping for someone to come here."

"Who are you?" Steph asked.

"I'm Dr. Matthew Calvin, chief researcher of this museum."

"Steph Wesker, Jimmy Frost, and Ronald Hemmings."

Calvin frowned. "Wesker…You mean Albert Wesker's niece?"

"Yes…Oh! We found your daughter, Amy!"

"Really? Where is she?"

Steph frowned. "I believe she went looking for her sister. I'm sure she's all right."

He adjusted his glasses. "Is that so? Anyway, come here."

He walked to a computer terminal and accessed a kind of report.

"I've been monitoring the situation of the city. It can be safely assumed that the outbreak can not be contained."

Jimmy felt queasy. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the government plans to do something about it. Maybe they'll actually send rescue."

"God willing…" Ronald murmured.

Steph stepped towards him. "What is this you're working on, Doctor?"

"Ever heard of the Symbionts?"

They all shook their heads. Calvin then showed them a list of names.

"They're superhumans, for lack of a better term. Their abilities can be either beneficial of disastrous. These are the names of Symbionts identified in the United States alone."

Steph gasped. "Guys, look!"

She pointed to three names. "Bring their photos up, please."

Calvin nodded. When their profiles appeared a moment later, they all gasped.

"It can't be…" Jimmy breathed.

The first two profiles were those of Alex and Miranda as children. The third was labeled as "extremely dangerous". The profile was…of Amy Calvin.

_It's Amy…and she looks exactly like that woman who was trying to kill us!_

"Excuse us. Ronald, come on. Steph, would you please make sure the outside's secure?"

"Sure thing," Steph answered.

Nodding, Jimmy ran out of the lab, Ronald following. He had to inform Alex and Miranda of Amy's true identity.

The dog ran toward them at a lightning-fast pace.

Alex pulled his 9mm and fired, two shots crushing the hound's skull. With a sickening whine, the poor thing tumbled into the wall. He lowered the gun, his face full of anger. Miranda went on ahead and opened the door closest to them. A quick sweep with the shotgun showed it to be clear.

"Alex, in here."

"Right."

He straightened himself and followed her in.

The room they entered was some sort of laboratory, and from the looks of it, it was full of Umbrella equipment. They went further in the room and noticed that there were several large tanks of liquid near the back of the lab. A closer look showed that there were several kinds of creature in them.

"I don't recognize any of these things," Miranda said. Alex flipped through the Umbrella files and shook his head.

"They must be new prototypes."

They took a moment to observe the creatures, Miranda taking pictures with her camera. One of them appeared to be a man-sized scorpion with spider legs, oversized pincer claws, and a mask to cover its face, as well as metal plating and organic circuitry. The metal plate on the front of the tank was labeled: "Stalker".

They moved on to the second one, but this one looked much more aquatic. It looked like an overgrown eel, and its body was crackling with bio-electricity. The thing's head had a metal helmet or something with a lightning bolt pointed upward, possibly intended to be a horn. It had the same plating and circuitry as the Stalker. The plate read: "Leviathan".

The last one definitely shocked them. It looked like a gorilla, but it was again patched together with metal plates and computer circuits, just like the others. But this one had a missile pack on its back and a gatling gun over its left arm. The plate read: "Berserker".

Disgusted, they left the room and saw that Jimmy and Ronald were waiting for them.

"What's up?" Alex asked.

Jimmy looked pale with worry. "Come on, we gotta show you something."

"Oh, yeah? Well, check these out."

He motioned towards the creatures. They entered and were staring at the prototypes, their jaws open.

"Whoa…" Jimmy said.

"Who created these?" Ronald asked.

"I did," someone said from behind them.

Startled, Alex grabbed his pistol and aimed at the stranger—

—and then lowered it almost instantly; he knew this man.

"Matt Calvin!"

Everybody was in shock. They all wondered how he knew this man.

Matt smiled. "Alex. It's good to see you again. How long has it been?"

"Thirteen years. Still playing God, Matt?"

Matt chuckled. "Not exactly. While I _did_ create them, I did not design them. They came from someone else…oh, is that Miranda?"

Miranda jumped. "You know me?"

Alex gestured toward Matt. "He knew everything about you, including your parents."

"Unfortunately, they were murdered by my colleague a long time ago, as were Alex's parents. But somehow, you two escaped with thousands of others," Matt was saying. "Tell me, Miranda, have you no memory of who you are?"

Miranda was frowning, and then Alex knew how to help.

"Miranda, close your eyes and concentrate. Concentrate, Miri."

He held her hands with a warm, solid grip. She closed her eyes.

It was all as blur at first, but then it started to make sense.

She was seeing her life backwards: her graduation from the Academy, her Academy training, her adoption, and someone else, someone familiar. She focused on the individual.

_It's…Alex!_

The picture was finally clear. She _did_ meet him a long time ago. She saw a distinct memory unfurling in her mind:

_She was ten years old. She'd been playing at the playground near the orphanage when the local bullies pushed her off her swing._

"_Hey!" she'd yelled. "Why did you do that!"_

_The tallest bully, Jason, had said, "This is our playground now, so get outta here, ya little shrimp!"_

_She was so furious. She threw a punch into his face, and Jason was knocked to the ground. But then, the other two were kicking her like crazy. When they were done, Jason had spit in her face._

"_Know your place in life, shrimp!"_

_He laughed and the three left. Then, it was raining. Her blue school dress was becoming slick with mud. Just when she thought she would die from the cold, someone warm was holding her close. She looked up to see Allie, smiling at her. He'd pulled her up and then held an umbrella over them both._

"_Miri, what happened?"_

_She'd wiped away her tears. "Jason was picking on me again."_

_Allie had frowned; he was also ten, but he was also very tough, and he always had a soft spot for those who were in trouble._

"_Don't worry. I'll make sure they don't pick on you again."_

_She smiled, and they had walked back to the orphanage, both of them holding each other tightly for warmth._

Miranda opened her eyes, tears forming.

"A-Allie?"

Alex smiled, and Miranda knew. It was Alex all along, who was always there for her, who would comfort her when she was sad and make her laugh when she needed it.

They embraced each other, both of them having remembered their lives. As for her name, Miri was her nickname when she was younger.

"I remember. I remember everything."

Suddenly, they heard shots coming from outside, and then, a scream.

"Steph!" Jimmy gasped.

They headed outside and saw Steph lying on the ground, a large stick of wood lodged on her left side, penetrating her vest. Calvin ran and checked her wound, and from the look on his, she knew it wasn't fatal. He took off Steph's vest to see the extent of the damage. With help from Alex, they pulled the wood out, and Steph yelled in pain. Afterward, they administered some sort of spray over the wound and the stuff worked wonders; it was actually stopping the blood flow and cleaning the wound, among other things.

"Don't worry, it's an anti-bacterial spray. Umbrella manufactures it, but there's no side effects," Calvin was saying. "It can treat any wound."

"It's a medical kit in a can?" Steph asked.

Alex nodded. "Call it a first-aid spray, if you will."

When they finished the spraying, she opened her eyes, taking off her broken sunglasses.

"Something jumped out at me from the bushes. I managed to nail it with the .45, but it threw that at me." She pointed to the wood spear now on the ground, covered in her blood.

"Take it easy, Miss Wesker. You'll be fine," Calvin told her. "You'll be okay."

After placing the contents of her vest into a pouch, Steph grabbed a clip for the .45 and reloaded. They all headed back inside, and saw the little girl.

"Melissa!" Calvin yelled. He grabbed her and embraced her tightly.

"Daddy! I'm scared!"

Calvin frowned. "Scared of what?"

"Of Amy. She's trying to kill everybody."

They all gasped. Alex, however, spoke in a calm voice.

"Your sister's Artemis, isn't she?"

Melissa paused, and then nodded.

"I thought so—" Alex began to say, but then they heard an alarm going off.

"_Warning! Missile strike detected! All personnel proceed to the evacuation train immediately. Warning--"_

As the message continued looping, Alex gritted his teeth.

"Guys, we're leaving town…tonight."

As they left, Calvin handed Alex a vial.

"It's a T-Virus sample. Make sure it gets to the authorities…and watch out for Amy—no, for Artemis. She won't stop until she kills you."

Alex nodded. "I understand."

Calvin then motioned to the little girl. "Melissa, go with them."

The little girl protested. "But Daddy, what about you?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to stay and make sure Artemis doesn't get you."

She was silent, but then she nodded firmly. "Okay. Alex, I'm ready."

Alex smiled. "All right, everybody, let's get out of the city once and for all!"

They ran as fast as they could, Melissa clinging to Alex's back. The end of Raccoon was coming, and their time had just run out.

The tunnels that led to the train were crawling with bioweapons.

As Ronald descended down the ladder last and covered their flank, Jimmy led the way, his shotgun echoing throughout the passageways. They encountered several Lickers, Hunters, and hordes of zombies as they fought their way through.

Jimmy's shotgun clicked empty. As he reloaded the SPAS 12, Miranda took over, firing her 9mm and taking out any creature that blocked their path. She also clicked on empty and it was Ronald's turn. One by one, they all switched positions, covering each other.

One of the Lickers' tongues grabbed Alex's leg. Quickly, he grabbed a samurai sword he had taken earlier and sliced the thing's head off. They continued on until they finally made it to the platform.

"_Warning! Missile strike in ten minutes!"_

Ronald raised his reloaded revolver when, from out of nowhere, three oversized humanoids converged on their position. He could tell they were bioweapons.

Jimmy, Melissa, and Steph ran inside the train and entered the cab. As the door closed, Ronald aimed at the closest and opened fire. Each shot hammered the thing's torso, and apparently the firepower was able to drive it back.

His weapon clicked empty, and he dug into his pack, ejecting the empty bullets with a grim expression; he had six shots left for the revolver.

Alex covered him as he unloaded his Beretta, pulling the trigger repeatedly. Thirteen rounds slammed into all three of them. One of them finally went down suddenly, but two more of them were still functional. As his gun also ran out of ammo, Miranda grabbed her shotgun.

"Get aboard! I've got this!"

Alex and Ronald got aboard, reloading their weapons, and witnessed Miranda standing her ground. She aimed the Remington towards a series of chains. Ronald looked up and saw that the chains were holding several beams overhead. She unloaded the shotgun, breaking the chains apart. Above her, the beams fell on the two monsters. They went down surprisingly quickly. Miranda turned and climbed aboard.

Within seconds, the train started to pull out of the station. Ronald looked at his watch, seeing the seconds ticking past quickly.

_We're not gonna make it—_

The back of the train rocked, and the six were looking in that direction. Ronald saw the look in Alex's face. It was calm, focused.

"Artemis is back there," he said softly.

Without another word, Alex walked to the back, drawing the samurai sword. Ronald tried to stop him, but Miranda held him back.

"Let him go."

He nodded, and she released his hold on him. Miranda was right; Alex had to fight her alone.

When Alex opened the hatch and it closed behind him, Ronald silently wished him luck.


End file.
